This Fairy-tale Called Life
by Mr.Maverick77
Summary: Elizabeth, Princess to the kingdom of Kalos, has just turned 18. Expecting suitors at her door any day now, she thinks her life is set and made. One day, some guests change everything and shatter her life as she knew it. As she struggles to piece her life back together, she learns that real life isn't the bedtime story she always thought it would be.
1. Once upon a time

**Hello! The name's , and to anyone who wandered here by choice or accident: welcome to my first ever fanfic!**

 **So if I'm being up front, I am not a writer in reality, fiction, or any space in between. I wrote this simply to expand my own comfort zone and push myself creatively. So if you're expecting some A++, novel quality work, then this might not be for you.**

 **Also upfront, I don't appreciate flames. Like, at all. If you have something creative to say, then I will gladly listen. This is bound to have plenty of flaws, and I do want to get better. So if you do have criticism, please make it constructive.**

 **The first few chapters are inspired by a book I read ages ago, and I thought it'd be a good launching point to start this story. It will be my own story and characters, but some elements will be similar for the first couple chapters. Just a heads up.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokèmon sadly. The story and OC's are mine.**

"When do you think they will come?" Princess Elizabeth asked her nurse.

"When who will come?" Her nurse replied.

"My suitors, of course!"

The sun was bright, the air blew in a chill, and Elizabeth tightened the shawl around her shoulders. The young Braixen sat at her vanity as her nurse readied her for the day. The elderly Audino, simply known as Nurse, had long ceased functioning as an actual nurse. Rather, she played the part of maid and busybody to her princess. In one hand she had a brush, which she wielded with all the finesse and tenderness of a gardener raking up late autumn leaves. She made up for this lack of skill with strength and enthusiasm, causing the younger fire type to make unpleasant faces as her fur was yanked and pulled. One might have expected that with several years practice, she might have acquired a tad more gentleness in this daily task. Not so with Nurse.

Nurse stopped mid-brush, glancing at Elizabeth with one eye in the mirror. "Suitors, you say? What brings up this fool talk?" she said sharply. She resumed her work, attempting to wrestle all the unruliness out of the fire-hued fur. "You just keep focused on your lessons" she continued, "and leave this messy business of arrangements and marriage to your parents."

"But I'm of age!" Elizabeth replied, biting back a yelp as Nurse made a particularly strong pull. Her mouth twisted into an unattractive shape as pain shot through her scalp. "Father said that he would never consider any inquiry from a single prince of any kingdom until I came of age."

"As it should be."

"Well, since I'm eighteen now, shouldn't he start receiving inquiries? Shouldn't they start coming to pay their respects?" According to what she was taught by her decorum instructors, _to pay respects_ was simply a tactful way of saying _investigate marriage possibilities with the kingdom's resident princess._

"That's not for you to be speculating, Miss Princess," said Nurse. Although she pronounced in "Speckle-ating", Elizabeth dared not laugh. Though she might not have been raised with an eloquent dialect, Nurse's ideas on what was and wasn't appropriate for a princess went beyond what she learned in her books and lessons.

"Suitors indeed. Why back in my day, a girl never put two thoughts together concerning boys- not until her father gave her the go ahead."

"Never?"

"Not once!"

"Not even-"

Nurse cut her off by whacking the top of her head with the back of the brush. "Enough of that! You're as tidy as mortal hands can manage. So get you to your morning tutorials, and I don't want to hear another word of this Romantic drivel!"

Elizabeth rubbed the top of her head, dropping her shawl onto her bed in exchange for an armload of books, and made her way to her chamber doors, muttering "I like romantic drivel". She swept through the doors and, just as they closed, called over her shoulder "Your day must have been an especially un-romantic one Nurse!"

The doors clunked, but Nurse's muffled voice still came through. "You'd better believe it!"

Princess Elizabeth whirled around to make her way down the hallway, but was stopped by a small figure just in front of her. The newcomer was bipedal, colored blue-and-black, and came up to her waist. It shot her a cheeky grin and stated "Finally ready huh? Took ya long enough".

Elizabeth simply sighed, and said "good morning to you too Max." The young riolu stepped to the side out of her way, and, carrying his own load of books, followed her as they made their way to their morning class. They nodded greetings to the various castle staff they encountered, and eventually arrived to their small, private, and stuffy classroom. Taking a seat next to each other, they only had to wait a few minutes for their tutor to arrive, as it was most mornings.

The door creaked open, and an elderly alakazam stepped into the room. He wore a pair of glasses, and the expression of one resigned to their fate. He moved to the front of the classroom, barricading himself behind his desk and books before speaking, his voice never wavering from a tired, mournful drone.

"Prince Maxwell, you have the essay you were to compose, yes?"

The fighting type nodded, pawed through his belongings for a moment or two, before producing a page of paper. It looked normal at first, but was only filled halfway with writing. The remaining half, as well of the margins, contained various doodles he had drawn. "Waddya think?" his voice betraying the pride he had in his "work".

The tutor, Harmond, flinched before replying "very amusing, your highness"

"See how big I made the nose on this one?"

"A remarkable likeness, your highness"

Elizabeth glanced at the paper before huffing and said "That? It doesn't look a thing like him"

Max only stuck out his tongue before replying "That's cause it's supposed to be _you_ "

Harmond only closed his eyes to block out the ensuring squabble between the siblings. A minute or two later, the bickering died down, and he dared to open his eyes again. The two, finished with their disagreement, had their attention on him.

"We will be continuing where we left off last lesson. I assume you both recall where we were?"

"I know" Elizabeth said confidently. "We were discussing the various proper ways to greet various dignitaries from the realm of Hoenn compared to those of Kanto. We also covered The Great Collapse that resulted in the extinction of the race known as humans which ensured world-wide thousands of years ago."

"Know-it-all" stated her brother dryly.

Another argument broke out, and Harmond could only push up his glasses and rub his forehead. Today was like every other, a mirroring of yesterday and a foretelling of tomorrow. The regular sameness and boredom took a toll on most of the inhabitants of the castle. But for everyone living in Lumiose Castle, it was just something they accepted. Nothing ever changed.

Until, on this day, something did change.

* * *

Hidden by the shade of the forest, the large group approached.

There were easily over a hundred of them. They moved together, not quite a formation, but enough to not get separated. They walked no path, but shifted around trees, bushes, and other obstacles they encountered. With them they pulled large carts and wagons that bumped and rattled along the way. Their contents were unknown except to their owners, at least for the time being.

Once they reached the edge of the forest, they stopped. The front-most of their number looked at each other, unsure and nervous to proceed into the open plain that lay before them.

One stepped forward

The lone figure surveyed the area, nodded, and waved the rest forward

The rest, recognizing the individual, obeyed. As they advanced, many glanced at the horizon. Over a few hills, and rising above the surrounding town, lay Lumiose Castle.

* * *

"That is it for today, your highness's."

Elizabeth and Max thanked Harmond, quickly gathered up their belongings, and made a hasty retreat for the door. In the open-air of the hallway, they took a moment to stretch and glance out the large window to appreciate the tranquil scenery.

They proceeded to return to their rooms to drop off their books and meet their parents for lunch. Max cheerily greeted any staff they encountered, while Elizabeth glanced out the windows as they passed. It looked like a perfect spring day, with few clouds in the vibrant blue sky, and the plant life a lush healthy green. She couldn't help but sigh, knowing what kind of day she was missing. She had a full day of lessons indoors, and while the various paintings, tapestries, and other art helped to brighten up the interior of the castle, it was not the same as the natural beauty outside.

They split up upon reaching the hallway with their rooms, hurriedly dropping off their item to regroup and resume their walk. They continued in silence for the few minutes it took to reach the family sitting room. They knocked politely before entering.

The sitting room was a small room, designed to hold the royal family and guests. It was normally used for private meetings with other nobility, but it also doubled as where the royal family took their meals. Being there was only four of them, it was much more practical than the large dining hall used for balls and banquets.

"Morning kids"

Sitting in the armchair next to the fire, book in hand, was their father, King Alexander. The Lucario smiled at them as they entered, setting aside the book that had been in his hands a few moments earlier. The only distinguishing feature of his was that his fur had dulled in color, and had begun to grey in certain places, both from age and the stress of running a kingdom. "Enjoy your morning?"

"Boring as usual" Max answered, with Elizabeth only nodding in agreement. The king chuckled good-naturedly.

"Business as usual then?" asked another voice.

Sitting next to the King, sat a Delphox; Queen Maria.

The Queen had a warm air about her, much like her mate. She held a pair of needles and some cloth in her hands, as knitting was a common pastime for many nobles. She too, had few features separating her from any other member of her species. While she had maintained more vibrant color than Alexander, she had a bit more grey as well, particularly around her eyes and ear tufts. She also wore a silver necklace with a black diamond as its center piece.

The Queen smiled softly, continuing her knitting, and said "I know it can be boring, but it is important you both learn these things. You'll be running things soon after all. Right hun?" she asked, turning to look at the Lucario next to her with a smile.

He nodded dutifully, saying "of course. Can't run a kingdom without what you're learning."

"Awww" Max whined lightly "it isn't all important, is it? When am I ever going to need to know what some king did a hundred years ago? Or know what kinda government Hoenn has compared to us? I won't ever use that stuff, so I can just ignore that stuff, right?" Maxwell, while having a happy and cheery personality, was not very academically inclined. He had little patience for history, government, or other matters of academia. He much more preferred practical lessons or, his favorite, training out in the courtyard.

King Alexander waved his son over, and placed a paw on his head as he spoke "Well son, it's less about the specifics, and more about the lessons that history and these things teach us. You can learn a great deal from the past, if you know how to pay attention to it. For example-" He leaned in close, paw sideways next to his mouth, and whispered "-Truthfully it isn't all that important, but your mother wouldn't agree with me."

"I heard that" the Queen stated, playfully slapping her mate on the shoulder, smiling as she did.

Elizabeth, along with her family, laughed at the display, and took a seat across from her mother as her brother sat next to her, across from their father. Max and Alexander joked and made small talk while Maria went back to her knitting. Elizabeth sat back, getting comfortable in the plush armchair, and let her mind wander for a bit.

" _Something on your mind dear?"_

To most, hearing a voice inside their hear would be unnerving. But for Princess Elizabeth, it was commonplace. At least, in the company of her mother. Queen Maria, being part psychic, had trained herself to utilize telepathy. Her age and experience had lent themselves well to the talent, to the point that she could use it as easy as flicking her tail.

While telepathy was, in theory, achievable for any psychic type, it was not as popular as most believed it to be. Telepathy was like any other ability or muscle- it would improve with practice. Unlike learning a move, it was not inherently learnt, nor was it particularly easy. Intense dedication to it's practice was required to use it regularly and easily. For most, the required time and effort was something they thought too much for what they got back.

 _"Nothing important"_

One of the advantages of her parentage was that they both were trained in telepathy, albeit by different means. For Elizabeth, this gave her a natural advantage in the craft, and she was well along her way in terms of mastery.

 _"Come now dear. It's quite clear that something's on your mind. Pokè for your thoughts?"_

The Braixen simply gave a huff and rested her chin in one paw, supported by the armrest. Much as she wanted to brush off her mother's inquiries, she knew that the Delphox would simply read her mind to find the truth. And, despite her advanced stage for her age in psychic abilities, she was not yet able to guard against her mother's power, nor any other powerful psychic.

 _"Well..."_ She began.

 _"Let me guess"_ her mother interrupted, still not looking up from her knitting. _"Your wishing for some dashing prince to show up, sweep you off your feet, and whisk you away to your happily ever after?"_ A mischievous tone never left the queen's words as she spoke.

The princess instantly felt her face flush, and she couldn't help shoot her mother a look of half surprise, half embarrassment. _"How did you..."_

 _"I was your age once too you know. I know what It's like to be in your place."_ Elizabeth couldn't decide if her mother was telling the truth, or if she had simply not noticed her mother's psychic intrusion. Before her mother could finish, the older fire-type look up at the door, as if seeing something the rest of them had missed. _"We'll talk about it after lunch, ok sweetie?"_

Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply, to ask her mother what she meant, when she felt a...tingling, on the edge of her consciousness. It was weak but it was there, not unlike a fly buzzing around her head. It took her a moment to recall what his particular feeling was- one of her newer, developing abilities. What she felt was a presence- or more accurately, she was _sensing_ a presence. And based on it's direction and distance, she concluded it could only be...

"Lunch is served, your majesties."

The Braixen turned her head to see the owner of the voice.

In the doorway stood a Slurpuff, chest puffed out and a goofy smile on her face, as always. Cecilia was her name, Elizabeth recalled, and she was perhaps one of the oldest Pokemon in the castle. She had always been the castle chef, once serving Elizabeth's grandparents, then her parents, and now her and her brother. Despite her relatively simple title, she was given respect that few others in the castle could claim.

But despite her age, the fairy-type was far from being weak and grumpy. Rather, she was usually in a jolly mood, some form of smile stuck on her face, and a upbeat attitude was the norm. And while she may be older than the king and queen, she refused to let that stop her from doing what she loved. She was a regular fixture in the kitchens, preferring a "hands-on-approach" to life.

Nodding to the royal family, Cecilia walked in, a trolley of food following her, being pushed by a Buneary. Said Buneary was Audrey, one of few young residences and close friend of Elizabeth. The normal type was, in title, a handmaiden to the princess. In reality, she was perhaps the princess's only real friend and only regular companion outside of castle staff.

The Normal type smiled and winked and Elizabeth when she saw her, never breaking social etiquette but warmly greeting her in her own way, and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile back.

"I trust you all had a good morning?" Cecilia asked. The two began to unload the cart of food onto the table between the four Royals, Cecilia engaging in conversation as she did so.

"It was good enough. How has your morning treated you Cecilia?" Ask Maria

"Oh busy as usual. Those new kitchen hands couldn't tell a oran from a cheri or me from a bowl of puddin'." Max couldn't help but giggle at the joke, and Elizabeth also found herself tittering as well. Cecilia smiled wider and asked " What about you prince Max? Mornin' treatin' you well?"

Max took a moment to stop his laughed before replying "Boring as usual. Harmond is so dull that he makes slowpoke races look exciting!"

Elizabeth imagined that one of her parents would scold Max for such a comment, but Cecilia beat them to it by laughing. This was not the tee-hee of some young maiden, nor the tittering of some aged noble, but a long and jolly belly laugh, as genuine as it was loud. She laughed a few moments, and everyone couldn't help but feel that the room felt a little brighter as a result.

"That old self-righteous wind-bag!" She howled. "Hasn't changed a bit". She laughed some more before composing herself. "Take that as a lesson your four" she paused to cast a wide sweeping glance to the four seated Pokemon before continuing "don't let your age define you. You're only as young as you feel. Ol' Harmond was always dull, but that's cause of his attitude. As for me? Well" she paused again, this time to turn to the side and puff out her chest proudly "I'm only as young as I believe I am, and I don't feel a day over thirty!"

"Don't look a day over it either!" Max chimed in with his attempt at a compliment. Cecilia could only smile at his genuine compliment before turning back to finishing setting out the food.

Audrey, while not stopping in her task, smiled sideways and said softly "Good morning Liz." The Braixen smiled and replied "Hey Audrey. You have good morning?"

The rabbit nodded "It was decent. With all the new staff in the kitchen, Cecilia has me helping teach them the basics. It's more busy than anything. But that shouldn't make what we make any less tasty". Elizabeth chuckled quietly in response. "Well good for me then. I'll see you this afternoon yeah?"

Audrey, finished with her task, simply ducked her head once, and proceeded to hop back over to Cecilia's side.

"Now, will there be anything else you majesties?" Cecilia asked, chest still puffed out in pride. Maria nodded "No, that should be it Cecilia. Thank you". Smiling pleasantly, the Slurpuff and Buneary made their exit, trolley in tow. Max, plate already in hand exclaimed "Alright! Let's dig in!"

Maria sighed loudly at the sight of her son shoveling food onto his plate. "Honestly Max, you should really act with a little more decorum. Even if it is just us, do have a little self... respect..." She trailed off at the sight of her mate similarly shoveling food on to his own plate, licking his lips eagerly. Her expression was one wholly un-impressed.

Ignoring her father's and brother's gluttonous behavior, Elizabeth helped herself to some stew, bread, berries, and light salad. Maria, resigned to the male's behavior, took her own helping before they all began the meal.

The next half hour passed relatively quickly for the four. Having finished their food and passed a few minutes with idle chatter, the four cleaned up and parted ways. The two adults returned to continue their various duties, and the two younglings had the afternoon free.

Elizabeth liked to spend her afternoons lounging, either in her room or in the gardens close by her room. More often than not, Audrey would accompany her. The reason was two-fold: As a handmaiden, Audrey was expected to help Elizabeth with the more mundane tasks of being royalty, as well as ensure her personal health. At the same time, she was the fire-types closest friend, and her company help alleviate the boredom that she often felt on her own.

Max, as was normal for him, opted for some physical activity. Exercising in his room or around the castle was something he often partook in. Today, however, found him in the mood for proper training.

Making a bee-line for his room, he opened the door to his own personal chambers. Like all of his family, it was quite spacious, with high ceilings and plenty of space to fill. On the right wall, perpendicular to the door he just entered, sat his bed. A Fancy four-post, with light green sheets and a sky blue comforter. On the opposite wall were several windows and a glass door leading to a small balcony. The left wall had two doors leading to his bathroom and closet. Besides a small nightstand, his room also held a pair of bookshelves, a small chest in the far left corner, and a fireplace next to the door.

Rather than being greeted with a empty room as he had expected, he instead found a kirlia sorting through one of his bookshelves. To any other pokèmon, finding a individual in their bedroom would be cause for alarm. But Max found it quite normal, and greeted the psychic type as he had many times before.

"Hey Sam"

The kirlia glanced over it's shoulder at the greeting. Seeing sam, it quickly stood up, turned, and bowed in one fluid, practiced motion.

"Good afternoon Prince Maxwell"

Max fought the urge to roll his eyes at his full name, something he hated to be called by regularly. "Sam, how many times have I told you to call me Max? We're friends, aren't we?" He questioned.

Sam smiled amusedly. "Of course we are Max. But you know that protocol dictates that we servants greet you with your proper title, until told otherwise. I'm just following protocol as befits my station."

"Uuugghhhhh" Max groaned. "Your impossible" he said as he began to walk past Sam towards his closet. "OK, firstly, you're staff, not servants." He continued to speak as he began rooting around in his closet, occasionally throwing a blanket or winter article over his shoulder and unceremoniously on the floor . "That sounds so... wrong. Second, You say that every time".

"And I'll say it next time as well. And as many times after as you require".

"That's a cheery thought".

"Isn't it? Oh, and I already took the liberty of preparing your exercise bag. It's at the foot of your bed."

Max stopped his digging and turned to look, a silk blanket clinging to the right side of his head. Sure enough, a large brown duffel bag sat at the foot of his four-poster bed. He quickly threw the offending cloth to the floor and made his way over to begin rifling through the bag itself. Once he was sure that all necessary equipment was present, he zipped the bag up and dusted his paws. "Alrighty. Just gotta clean up these clothes and we can make our way to the training grounds."

"There's no need for that" Sam spoke up.

"Oh?" The riolu asked, sarcasm quite evident in his voice as he turned to face his companion "and why is...that..."

Where only a minute ago had laid a sprawling mess of blankets, clothes, and jackets, now sat a neatly folded tower of the same articles. They were even sorted with the largest on the bottom and with similar colors grouped together. Sam, standing just of to the side, smiled smugly.

"...umm...yay?" was all the fighting type could think to say, at a lose for how to properly respond.

Sam didn't say anything else as he retrieved his own, small backpack from next to the nightstand nearby. "Shall we head off?" Max only nodded in agreement as he hefted the considerably heavier duffle onto his shoulder with ease, and the two headed out the door.

"So" Max began "you gonna join me in some actual physical training today hmmm?" He poked his friend's cheek mischievously.

Sam only sighed exapseratly "Max, you know that that wouldn't help me very much. Physical fighting is your strength. I'm much better off practicing my special moves or my psychic power. Push-ups and weights won't help me with that." He looked off to the side "besides, you'd obviously win in any physical competition we had. And I know that's what you want."

"Awwww" the blue pup whined "C'mooonnn. You're too thin. Some exercise would do you good. Besides" he grinned wolfishly, now poking his friend's side "maybe some bulk might help people stop thinking you're a girl"

Instantly, Sam became very flustered, face quickly growing several shades more red. "Th-that's got nothing to do with it! It's simply because kirlia are very feminine Pokèmon forms and people wrongfully assume all kirlia are female!" His voice lowered but his face remained akin to a cherri berry. "Once I mature into a Gallade, things like that won't happen anymore."

Max placed a paw to his chin. "Yeah, that's true. Gardevior and gallade are very hard to confuse gender-wise." Max reached out to pat his friend on the shoulder comfortingly "But if it makes you feel any better, you'd be a very pretty girl!"

Face glowing red, Sam looked to the floor as they walked. Max grinned at his assumed victory in the little debate with his close friend.

He was, however, proven wrong moments later.

"…"

"…"

"...At least I'm not a cuddly puppy"

"I'M NOT CUDDLY!"

* * *

The first to see the strangers was the woodcutter's son.

The small machop was carrying fallen trees to his father's lumber yard. He had just lifted one onto his shoulder when he noticed movement in his peripherals. Turning to see who it was, he was greeted with a sight that initially sent a spike of fear through his system. The numerous figures emerging from the woodline that he initially took for bandits. He tensed to run, to start shouting for the guards and alert everyone he could to danger. It wasn't until he saw the banner that some of the first figures and wagons flew that his mood did a complete 180, and he began to run and shout for a completely different reason.

"The Rainbow Market is here!"

The news spread through the town like wildfire. In short order, the citizens abandoned their duties. The baker left his oven, the blacksmith let his forge grow cold. Housewives left clothes on the clothesline and teachers cancelled classes. Pokèmon young and old fainted illness, injury, and any other excuse they could think of to get out of work and responsibilities.

How could one possibly work when the Rainbow Market was here?

* * *

"...and he didn't even know thyme from oregano! Can you imagine?"

"Not in the least. Heaven forbid someone get their grasses mixed up."

"LIZ! Herbs are a cornerstone of cooking! It's much more than grass."

Having retired to her room, structured very similarly to her brother's, Elizabeth found herself engaged in a conversation with Audrey about her experience with the new kitchen staff. As they spoke, more so Audrey than Liz, they both worked on sewing a tapestry they had been working on for a month.

The scene itself was a popular myth in the predominant religion of most kingdoms. Arceus, flanked by Reshiram and Xerneas, were locked in combat with Giratina, Zekrom, and Yveltal. The image was part of a series of stories detailing the infighting of the legendaries during the creation of the mortal world, and were quite well known across the regions.

Elizabeth nodded absent mindedly, only listening half-heartedly to her companion as she worked on her side of the tapestry. While she loved the Buneary's company, she could, and often did, go on tangents about cooking. Something she was passionate about, among others, but the fire-type was significantly less so.

"Of course. How foolish of me. I do love my proper seasoning of weeds". She couldn't help but sneak a glance up at her friend as she said this. The annoyed expression the rabbit wore was cause enough to titter quietly.

Audrey only grumbled to herself, muttering about "adding a special weed" into the Braixen's next meal to see how she liked herbs then.

Elizabeth focused back onto the tapestry, and began to add detail into Xerneas' antlers, when she froze. A few moments later found her involuntarily flicking her ear repeatedly.

Her companion noticed the sudden action stand out in the otherwise smooth movements of the last hour, and asked her about it. "what's wrong Liz?"

"Don't you hear that?" She replied

The young rabbit made a face of curiosity as she settled her hands onto her lap and unrolled her ear. Both her ears stood tall as she strained to hear what Liz was talking about, holding very still. Sure enough, a few moments later found her own ears twitch and her head turning towards the window at the far side of her room where she heard the odd noises.

"Sounds like it's coming from the main courtyard."

Nodding in agreement, both females set the tapestry onto Elizabeth's bed and made their way out onto the balcony.

While not having the most commanding view of the surrounding area, the view was good enough to get a general idea of what was going on in the large courtyard at the castle entrance. Various pokemon were running hither and yon, many carrying something or another and all moving with a sense of urgency. She could just make out the figure of a Bisharp, the Captain of the Guard, in the center of the courtyard. The tall steel type stood in the middle of the chaos, gesturing to various other pokemon as he got their attention. _No doubt giving orders_ Elizabeth found herself thinking. _But if it's important enough to get Ned's attention..._

"Come with me".

Audrey turned in surprise to her friend's statement. "Come again?"

Elizabeth turned confidently to face her "Something's going on down there. Something big if it's making that kind of tizzy. And I'm gonna find out what." Before she even finished speaking, she strode over to her closet, and in a much more organized manner than her sibling, selected a light blue shawl from her collection of clothing. Wrapping the cloth over her shoulders, she grabbed another, this one deep forest green, and tossed it to Audrey.

Grabbing the cloth, Audrey only had a moment to place it around herself properly before she began to chase after the princess, who had already begun her trek out the door and down the hallway.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!"

"C'mon Sam! Keep up!"

" I'm trying! Ah... ah... Slow down please!"

Skidding to a halt just outside the doors to his Father's study, Max turned to wait for his friend, hands on his hips and a somewhat pittying look on his face.

Arriving much more winded that the small pup, Sam arrived a few moments later, only to collapse onto his knees, panting heavily. It was a minute or two before he could form any kind of recognizable speech. Once he was no longer dying, he spoke without looking up "...Please don't look at me like that Max...You know I hate it..." His voice, while weak, was not without a begging tone to it.

A sigh was the Prince's only response, as he held out his hand. Accepting in gratefully, Sam was pulled to his feet, and stood by Max's side as he knocked on the door. A muffled "come in" was all they need to open and enter.

Surprising no one, Alexander sat behind the large wooden desk at the opposite end of the study. Flanked by a large window and bookshelves on either side, it was the exact image of what came to mind for a personal study: small, private, and comfortable. Little else was in the room, besides some paintings, smaller shelves along either wall, and some various tools sitting on a small table next to the desk.

Besides the King, Queen Maria, Elizabeth, and Audrey were in attendance. Max made no move to perform any kind of special etiquette or greeting besides a small nod to his family. Sam, on the other hand, stopped next to Max, folded his hands in front of his waist, and bowed deeply "Good afternoon, your Majesties."

Not hiding the smile on his face, Alexander nodded to the small psychic type. "And a good afternoon to you as well Samwell." Sam couldn't help but smile, pleased at the pleasant greeting from the king. For someone of his station, it was nice to be noticed by his superiors. In a good way of course.

"Well, since your all here, I suppose I should explain what all the hubbub is" the king continued, . "From what we could gather from the reports from the town, it's nothing bad." A collective sigh emanated from the four younger pokemon at the news. In the back of their minds, they had perhaps worried that the ruckus was the work of some outlaws or a neighboring kingdom."Actually, it's good news, believe it or not. From what we can gather, the Rainbow Market is in town"

Silence was the only response for a few moments before Max, ever the wise one, asked what was on everyone's mind: "Wat?"

"The Rainbow Market" Maria repeated, stepping in to explain. "It's a large traveling trade group, specializing in exotic and rare items from all over the world. It's quite the spectacle as I remember. Apparently they've set up shop just outside town."

"Sooo... there's just some big trading group that showed up?" Max asked, wholley unimpressed with the explanation for all the excitement. He had expected something a little more... exciting. Maybe some bandits on the outskirts of town, or something along those lines. Some glorified circus was not impressive in his eyes. But he knew better than to speak those thoughts aloud, much less in front of his parents.

"Technically speaking, yes. But it's much more than that dear" Maria continued. "The Rainbow Market is one of the most respected trading groups in the world. They sell things that some pokemon only dream of. On top of that, they don't come around all that often." She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "If memory serves, the last Rainbow Market in Unova was twelve years ago".

"Exactly" Her mate said, jumping back into the conversation "and that is why we are going".

"Really?" Came four different, younger voices in response.

"Really" came the affirmation. "Gather some spending money and meet at the gate in fifteen minutes"

All four youngsters recognized the dismissal and rushed to make ready. Fifteen minutes later found the group reconvened at the front courtyard, each carrying a coin purse on their person. Elizabeth and Audrey stored their purses in pockets in the shawls, whereas Max and Sam simply had their small pouches attached to a cord around their waists. The four stood around, making light conversation as they waited for the monarchs to arrive.

"She's right princess. Herbs are very important in cooking. Proper seasoning can make or break a dish, especially when cooking for royalty." The four had gotten on the topic of cooking, courtesy of Audrey and Liz, and they were divided on the topic.

"Aww" the Buneary cooed "thanks Sam. At least someone appreciates these things" She flashed a bright smile at him, his only response being a embarrassed smile and mumbling of support.

"I dunno" Max put in his two cents "seems kinda beyond me. All that fancy seasoning and herbs seem like it's over the top. Not all foods need all that, ya know?" Audrey smiled unnervingly at the statement "Why don't you tell Cecilia that Max? I'm sure she'd love to hear your opinion of the topic!" The fighting type shuddered, and snapped his head to the side at the sight of a carriage coming towards them. "H-h-hey look! Mom and dad are here! Let's go!" Before anyone could agree, he got behind the kirlia and Buneary and began pushing them towards the carriage, despite their protests.

Alexander stood by, holding the carriage door open as Maria sat by the window. "Alright everyone. Hop in" Obeying, everyone piled in, and Alexander signaled the two tauros to begin the short trip down to the town.

After clearing the main gate and getting on the road, it became relatively quiet., the only sound being the walking of the Tauros and slight creak of wooden wheels. Not that any could complain. It was a beautiful day, and the slowly moving scenery was quite pleasant to look at. Looking above the trees and horizon to the north-west, one could make out the sea.

"So" Elizabeth spoke up, gaining the attention of all the others "why is it called the Rainbow Market?"

"well" her mother began "It began from the Orange Islands. Since there's a lot of things that they can't get, being an island and all, they started this group to go around and trade for the things they couldn't produce themselves. Large amounts of metals and ores, lumber, crops, that kinda stuff." She shifted in her seat, supporting her head with her hand as she closed her eyes to recall. "Eventually, the leaders learned that other kingdoms and countries would pay a lot of poké for things they couldn't make themselves. Rare items like gems, pearls, and exotic plants. It grew to include region-only items and foods, and a few years later the market was traveling the world exchange rare items. They called it the Rainbow Market at this point, because it now included exotic items from every region."

"Ahh" the Braixen said, satisfied in the explanation. Her brother, on the other hand, had another question "How come we haven't heard of this market before? If it's so popular we woulda at least heard of it before now."

"It's not exactly a common event" the Delphox answered. "They only come around to each town or city on occasion. Elizabeth was only a babe the last time they came around. But regardless I think you'll all enjoy it. Especially since it'll be quite a while before you experience it again"

As Maria finished speaking, the telltale sounds of crowds and excitement grew more prominent. Leaning out the window to see ahead, the Braixen saw what looked less like a respectable trader's group, more like a giant festival.

Dozens of different stalls and tents, of all different colors, populated the fields just outside town. Banners, flags, and streamers were in no short supply, and crowds of citizens filled the space between and around the event. One large, red-and-yellow striped tent stood at the center, easily twice the height of the tallest stall. The air was full the hubub of a carnival, with chatter, laughter, and the occasional shout.

The others leaned out to get a look, and were equally amazed. The air had a energy to it, not unlike the feel of a holiday, and nobody could keep the infectious smiles from their faces.

The carriage stopped, and Alexander opened the door to let everyone out. "Ok everyone" he began "Maria and I are going to search for the leader of the market. You all" he gave a knowing look at the four of them "should enjoy the market."

His announcement was met with great enthusiasm, and before he could add anything else the four had disappeared, with the girls running off in one direction and Max all but dragging his psychic friend in another. The Lucario could only chuckle as he and his mate began their trek towards the center of the market.

Elizabeth had been to several carnivals and celebrations in her life, but nothing could quite compare to this. Pokèmon stood outside their stalls, calling and hawking their wares at anyone passing by. There was a electrical, infectious energy in the air, and the fire fox couldn't help but be excited. She pursued the wares as she passed, nodding politely to the owners and examining anything that caught her eye.

She found herself glancing over various items when she spotted some rather elaborate rolls of cloth. Most likely rugs or tapestries. Intrigued, she walked closer, trying to get a better look. The vendor, a Leavanny, noticed her interest and moved to speak to her.

"They" she said in a soft and calm voice, motioning to the cloth rolls "are woven with all the scents and sounds of the seasons"

To any other vendor, Elizabeth would have questioned what that meant, perhaps even call the guards for fear the vendor had gone insane. But looking into the face of the bug-grass type, she couldn't help but trust that what she said was true. The Leavanny picked up a roll of cloth, light blue with emerald curves and designs from what she could see, and offered it to the fox.

Elizabeth reached out to touch the cloth, believing the insectoid was inviting her to feel the article. When she placed her hand on it, he felt a odd sense of vertigo. She then, oddly enough, heard very faintly waves crashing against the shore. She smelt salty air, and a pleasant breeze against her fur. The sand was warm under her feet, and she heard Pelipper off in the distance.

Taking a step back, the vertigo returned for a moment before she found herself back in the market, standing in front of the stall. The Leavanny, holding the cloth close, gave her a look that was quite knowing, and ever a tad satisfied.

"Wow" was all she could manage. The shopkeeper only giggled at her reaction. She turned to call to her companion "HEY AUDREY!" The Buneary, only across the way, turned at the call, and made her way over from the stall she was examining.

"What is it Liz?"

Smiling, the fire-type waved her over "You gotta check this out!"

As Audrey approached, her smile turned to a frown. "Show me what Liz?"

Elizabeth turned as she spoke "These rugs and tapestries! I've never seen..." She couldn't finish her sentence out of surprise. Where she had expected to see the Leavanny with the cloth rolls, she found empty space.

Turning to look, she couldn't find any sign of the shopkeeper or her stall. She looked at the stalls next to them to see if they had changed, but she wasn't paying them enough attention to them to be able to tell or not. "Umm..." She fished for a response. She couldn't well tell her friend that a entire stall had disappeared in the span of ten seconds. She was having a hard time processing it herself.

"N-nevermind" The more she thought on it, the more bothered she got. Deciding to just drop the subject, she thought it best to continue their tour of the market. "Let's keep looking"

Doing her best to ignore the confused and concerned look her bunny companion held, she moved to continue walking. "Are you ok Liz? You seem bothered..."

"Yeah, it's nothing. Now let's-"

"Is everything alright Miladies?"

Surprised at the new voice in their conversation, both jumped close to one another and turned to see the source of the intrusion.

The Pokèmon standing before Elizabeth was easily one of the most intimidating she had ever seen. It stood towered over her, easily twice her height. It was bipedal, covered in green scales, had sharp claws, and several spikes protruding from it's back. She hadn't seen such a pokemon before, and felt very uncomfortable in the presence of such a terrifying creature.

The towering Pokèmon smiled at the pair- which didn't help alleviate her unease- and bowed as well as his bulk allowed. "Pardon the interruption Miladies, but I couldn't help but notice that you two seemed a bit lost. First time at the market is it?"

Elizabeth, too intimidated by the creature to reply, only stood still, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as she tried in vain to answer. She was grateful when her companion came to her rescue. "That depends on whose asking" She had never imagined a Buneary to be intimidating in any capacity, but Audrey was managing to look at least somewhat threatening. At least... she would be, in different company.

The giant pokemon laughed lightly, and leaned forward with a hand against his chest. "I have the pleasure of being Sir Letholdus, knight in service to the King of Unova."

Both females had expected a number of different responses from their larger counterpart, but that certainly wasn't one of them. Sir Letholdus stood and patiently waited for them to recover from their surprise.

"Umm..." Elizabeth began "W-what is a Unovan knight doing here in Kalos?"

"Well, milady, I'm here with my Lord. We've been traveling with the Rainbow Market for some time. He has business with the Royal family, most importantly the Queen." He adopted a knowing grin "I don't suppose you'd know how to find them, would you?"

"Ahh.. "

"Why would she?" Audrey beat her to the response "What makes you think she has anything to do with the royal family? Because she's a Braixen and the Queen's a Delphox? A bit presumptuous don't you think Sir?"

Letholdus only chuckled at the aggressive response from the much smaller rabbit, much to her annoyance. "Well I imagine she know quite a lot about the royal family, considering she's the Princess." In any other circumstance, Elizabeth would have laughed at the shocked expression on Audrey's face.

"I was instructed to gather the heirs and their companions by my Lord. He seeks an audience with the monarchs, and imagined they wouldn't much like leaving their children unattended at the market." He cast a eye over both girls, and appraising look if ever they saw one. "I must say, the description was uncanny. Not very difficult to find either of you."

The next few moments were silent as Elizabeth and Audrey were taking in all this new information. They cast a sideways look at each other. _Let's go_ Elizabeth thought at her companion, to which the Buneary nodded. They turned to face their new escort.

"Alright Sir Letholdus. Let's gather my brother and his friend" With a nod of agreement, the trio set off looking for the Riolu and Kirlia pair.

Thanks to a little help from Elizabeth's psychic powers, they had at least a general idea of where to look. Even so, the next half-hour was spent wandering around with a eye out for the small pair. The only good thing to come out of the wandering was the pair learning Letholdus' species, something called a Tyranitar.

Ultimately, it was Audrey who spotted Max and Sam. The pair were at a stall selling various accessories that were similar to any normal shop, but had odd colors or differences. The piece Max was currently trying on was a bracer covering his forearm. The piece had a golden clasp around the wrist, a Looplet, and brown leather leading up to the elbow and blue stripe down the middle. What really caught the eye was a large, pink stone set into the clasp, and odd glyphs inside the blue stripe.

As Max struggled to get the piece to a comfortable fit, Sam stood nearby with a concerned expression as spoke, likely trying to talk Max out of whatever he was doing. As the trio walked close, they could hear the conversation between the shopkeeper, a , and Max.

"So is this really a teleporting bracer?

"Oh yes" the clown replied, hands held together as he spoke "A real valuable piece of equipment. Just touch the stone and point to where you want to go and POOF, teleportation! The more force you put into it, the farther you'll go! It a invaluable piece of gear for soldiers or adventurers!"

Having finished with fitting the bracer and listening to the sales pitch, Max examined it more closely. "Really? Sounds pretty crazy. I mean teleportations a move only psychics learn. I don't know if I trust this."

"Go ahead and touch it lad. It'll glow to show it's powered up. Can't fake that!"

Max placed his hand, as instructed, on the large pink gem. True to the clown's word, it glowed with energy. The fighting type couldn't help but smile in response. Looking up, he noticed his sister and her group.

His mistake was in his reaction. He lifted up his arm, intending to wave in greeting. The result was him disappearing in a flash of pink light. Almost immediately the surrounding area went into a tizzy. Surrounding shoppers spoke loudly in confusion, while the shopkeeper began to shout about a thief. Sam, ever gracious under pressure, had his hands fly to his head as he shouted in panic. He immediately began to talk, quite animatedly, to the .

Fear spiked through the Braixen and Buneary at the sight of the disappearing Riolu. Before either could make a move, Letholdus placed a claw on their shoulders to stop them (although in reality it was on Elizabeth's shoulder, and on Audrey's head, once again to her irritation)

"I'll handle this a fetch your brother, Princess. No need for you to worry yourself." He moved past them, gently but firmly pushing other out of his way until he reached the vendor. A few moments later found him trying on his own bracer, then disappear in his own flash of light.

After a short silence at the rapid turn of events, it was Audrey who broke the silence. "I should go help Sam. He doesn't seem like he's doing to hot after... well... losing the Prince." Despite her serious tone, she couldn't help her paws covering her mouth in a giggle. "You go enjoy yourself a little more Liz."

Hopping off to comfort the panickin Kirlia, Elizabeth's last companion left her on her own.

"Would the lady like her fortune read?"

Surprised for the second in the last hour, the Braixen turned on her heel to face whoever spoke.

Unlike Sir Letholdus, this pokemon was of a species that Elizabeth was easily able to identify as a Dusknoir. While also tall, she was less intimidated than offput by the ghost.

"My dear lady" he began, his voice deep but inviting "would you like your fortune read? Have your past, present, and future told? Get a glimpse of your future mate? Perhaps your children? Come with me, for Duša can reveal all."

Despite her initial unease, the Dusknoir's voice and piercing red gaze peaked her curiosity. He gestured her to follow, and she trailed him through the crowds to wherever he was headed. The more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became. Surely a look into the future couldn't be anything other than good?

The Dusknoir arrived at his destination, a large, red tent, only slightly larger than a normal stall. Holding open the red silk curtain, he gestured her to enter. Obeying, she strode through the threshold and followed the thin hallway of silk to a table with two chairs and crystal ball in the center. She noticed incense burning around the room, and she felt odd. Floaty, like her mind was swimming in thick mud.

"Please" the Dusknoir spoke from behind her "do sit."

Seeing no other reasonable course of action otherwise, she pulled out the chair and sat, adjusting her shawl to help ease the tension she felt. Dusknoir settled into the opposite chair, and glanced evenly at her over the top of the crystal ball.

"I can tell" he began "that the young lady is of noble birth..."

Elizabeth had to fight to roll her eyes. _Guy certainly get right to the point. Kinda ruins the mystique_ she thought.

"...For who else could be so fair a maiden? The Lady stood out among the commoners like a ruby amongst rocks. And it was Duša's pleasure to find you..."

From anyone else, such compliments might have been flattering or even charming. Coming from the host type across from her, they were uncomfortable. _Laying it on a bit thick don't you think?_

 _"..._ and if you would but lend me your hand, I would reveal the future to you." He held out his hand, expecting her to place her hand in his.

Despite her instincts telling her that this was a bad idea, those warnings were pushed to the back of her head. Doing as instructed, she placed her hand in his.

Almost immediately, she felt her energy drain away, to the point of wanting to nap for a few hours. It stopped after a few seconds, but she also felt a strange chill crawl up her spine. Her vision blurred, and she had the sense of falling.

The odd sensations passed a few moments later, but she was no longer in the tent with the Dusknoir. Everything was blurry, like running watercolor paint. Looking around, she was in a dark forest, with other figures running past her, screaming. She couldn't make out who they were, nor what they were saying, nor where she even was.

Elizabeth got her answer a few moments later when a large explosion rattled the entire landscape. Spinning to look, the sight chilled her to her core. She couldn't stop her stomach from clenching or her hands flying to her mouth in horror.

Some distance away, on a hill surrounded by fields, stood her home Lumiose Castle covered in flames.

She could only stand rooted to the spot as more figures ran by screaming and the castle continued to burn. The town, that had only a few minutes ago seemed so bright and full of life, lied in ruins, burned to the ground. The young fire type couldn't form any coherent thoughts in her shocked state, and only watched on.

She was vaguely aware of a light touch on her shoulder. " _The young ladie's fortune"_ a deep voice crooned, despite no sign of the body it belonged too. The touch on her shoulder slipped down her back then around to rest on her side. " _The fortune as promised. Now the lady must pay..."_

To shocked by the vivid vision before her, Elizabeth made no move to answer, to question, or to move. The voice, so inviting as it was, soothed and dulled any objection her mind could make. Everything was dull and cold...

She was broken from her stupor when she heard a new voice

" _STOP!"_

 **If your reading this, then you finished the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed.**

 **If you have any feedback, I would greatly appreciate it (either in a review or PM) Even if it's a "you could do ****** better" or something like that. Any little bit helps me improve.**

 **Thanks again for your time. Hope you have a pleasant rest of your day**

 **Cheers!**


	2. An unexpected guest

**Welcome to chapter 2! Thanks for those who took the time to give me advice and feedback on the first chapter. Some very good advice that'll I'll be using going forward. Cheers to you guys XD**

 ** _With that all said and done, hope you enjoy!_**

 _"STOP!"_

The horrific vision Elizabeth experienced was washed away by a wave of dark energy. It hurt, but it was like a splash of ice water into her mind, shocking her back to her senses. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, back in the room with the creepy Dusknoir across the table. Taking a moment to hold her head at the dizzy feeling, she turned to look over her shoulder at who the new voice belonged to, and who she assumed had launched the Night Daze.

At the entrance to the room stood another fox pokemon. Unlike her the newcomer was much more muted in color compared to her, having dark grey and black fur. The only real color the pokemon had was the red on it's claws, face, and the wild mane it had resting on it's back. It stood noticeably slouched, and ended up being right around her height, maybe a tad taller.

The black fox wasn't looking at her as she observed him. Rather, he was sending a very venomous glare across the room. Following his line of sight, she was met with a very nervous looking Dusknoir. The much larger ghost type was constantly wringing It's hands and shifting restlessly. It was rather odd to see such a reaction from the large Dusknoir in response to this smaller and thinner pokemon.

"Back off Duša. Enough of your ghost tricks." The newcomer growled.

"No tricks here young Zoroark" the ghost answered back, it's tone that of someone trying to talk their way out of trouble. A tone the fire type new well from growing up with her brother. "A simple business transaction. Peddling my trade, like any other merchant here."

"Don't lie to me Dusknoir" the Zoroark took several steps forward to place himself across the table from Duša, and next to Elizabeth. "I saw what you were doing. You _know better_ than to try _that_."

The ghost type only grumbled in response, lowering his head in a sign of submission.

Snorting in irritation the dark fox turned to face Elizabeth, swapping his irritated expression for one of concern. "Miss," he began, "are you well? Everything alright?"

Being only a few feet away, the Braixen got a good look at the Zoroark. He wasn't bad looking, but he certainly wasn't the handsomest pokemon she'd ever seen. What she found rather odd was his eye colors. His right was a icy silver-blue, while his left was a emerald green. She hadn't seen anything quite like it before, either in her life or in her books.

She was snapped out of her stupor when she realized he was waiting for her response, staring expectantly. She shook her head to dispel the dizziness left over from the Night Daze and vision and attempted to answer.

"Y-y-yes. I-I'm Fine."

The Zoroark look unconvinced, but did not press the issue further. Nodding, he lifted his arm towards the entrance. "Allow me to escort you out," he said as he gently set a hand on her shoulder and bean to lead her.

 _"Hovadina!"_ The Dusknoir shouted out as the pair moved to leave, obviously upset over something. " _Musì Zaplatit!"_

Her new companion whipped his head around to glare daggers _"Dost"_

Duša flinched. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if what her companion said had been a threat or a command. By the tone and the reaction, it could have been either, quite possibly both. Looking completely defeated, the large ghost looked at the ground. "Courtesy of Lavender Town," he mumbled. "First vision is free."

"Good. Now," the Zoroark spoke in a authoritative tone, "gather your things and get out of here. Don't speak or even look at another Kalosian. And if your not gone within the hour... you'd better hope Arceus protects you. _You'll need it_ "

After hissing out the last undisguised threat, the Illusionary Fox turned to face the Braixen, doing a complete 180 in expression and demeanor to once again shift from anger to concern. "Let's go"

Nodding, she allowed herself to be lead out of the dark, constraining tent and out into the sunlight. Immediately, Elizabeth felt better. The warm sun on her fur re-energized her, and the fresh air helped to clear her head. Looking around, things seemed just as happy and energetic as when she had gone inside. Already, the disturbing experience with the Dusknoir was pushed to the back of her head, nothing but a horrid, blurry memory.

She felt the hand on her shoulder force her to stop, and she turned to face the Zoroark. He was looking at her with a neutral expression, and she couldn't imagine what he might be thinking, no matter how hard she tired to read his face.

"You really should be more careful Miss," he said matter-of-factly. "Duša and many others prey on the trusting and naïve. Take advantage of you. I wouldn't recommend walking around the market without a escort, especially since your-"

" _Excuse me!?"_ Elizabeth found herself shouting.

She hadn't had much experience with others outside of the castle staff and other nobles in court, and certainly not much with common pokemon. Yet this stranger, who hadn't even introduced himself, was calling her _naïve_? Thinking more on it, this pokemon had inserted himself into her business without so much as a by-your-leave. It was a... odd experience, sure. But a lot of things in this market were odd, that didn't make it a danger necessarily. She was a mature pokemon, and she would have been fine without his interference.

"Of course," he continued on, "it's not entirely your fault. The incense he had acts almost like a sedative on the mind. He could have asked you for anything and you would have complied. Nothing to be ashamed of though. Every new goer who is ignorant falls for it."

"My good man," she began, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice ,"I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

The Zoroark raised a brow. "Yes. Clearly. And I suppose next you'll tell me you've learned how to use Judgment?"

Her fur stood on end. This fox was quickly becoming one of her most dis-liked pokemon she'd ever met. Speaking to her in such a condescending manner irritated her beyond belief. She was a _princess_ , she held more authority and power than this arrogant dark-type ever would. And even then, it was just plain disrespectful.

Part of her told her to walk away and leave this whole situation behind. Another part of her wanted to just tell him off, see his reaction to that. Another wanted to call the guards and have him punished for speaking to her in such a manner. The part that won, however, told her to do something completely different.

She punched him square in the face.

He was speaking to her, saying something she couldn't care less about, when she jabbed her fist up into his face. She was a special attacker, so it didn't do as much as her brother's would have, and she was sure her form was flawed in several ways.

But if felt good.

It was satisfying to see his head snap back in response and stumble back a step. He held a hand over his muzzle, his eyes wide with surprise. He stared at her a few moments, processing what had just happened. She didn't give him the satisfaction of coming up with a response, as she spun on her heel and walked away, leaving a very shocked Zoroark in her wake.

Moving quickly through the crowds, the fire type made her destination the last place she had seen her brother. It was a relatively short walk, and she immediately noticed that there wasn't a huge crowd clambering around anymore. It seemed that the whole incident had been resolved, which was hopefully a good thing.

Pushing through the last of the crowd, she instantly noticed Sir Letholdus, the huge Tyranitar, speaking with the Mr. Mime shopkeeper. Off to the side she spotted her brother, no worse for ware it seemed, with Sam and Audrey. Currently the Kirlia was energetically shaking the Riolu back and forth by the shoulders, shouting at him while Max could only listen dizzily.

Straining her ears as she got closer, she could pick up what he was saying.

"...do you know what would happen to me if you got hurt!? How could I tell you parents I LOST you!? Why don't you _EVER_ think of _ME_ when you do things like this Max!?"

She couldn't help but smile at the unique way Sam showed he cared for her brother. Though he did have valid points in his little rant, that wasn't the issue they were focused on. She was sure Sam was happy to see Max unharmed. She walked up to her friends, a playful smile on her features. "OK Sam, I think he gets the idea."

Releasing his grip, Sam let Max fall onto his rear in his confused daze. The Kirlia nodded, running his hands through his hair attempting to relax. Audrey hopped next to him, patting him on the shoulder to comfort him. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed Letholdus push a pouch into the Mr. Mime's palm, each nodding to the other. The shopkeeper moved back to selling his wares while the large dragon turned to the four.

"Alright everyone," he began, "now that that..." he glanced over at Max ,"...situation... is over, let's get a move on. My Lord is sure to have found your parents by now and I'm sure they'd like to have you with them when they head back. This way if you please"

The going was easier with the Tyranitar leading the way. The crowd split in order to avoid being trampled by the large reptile, and that left plenty of space for the four to follow him comfortably.

"So Max" Elizabeth began, earning the attention of the others "what exactly happened with that bracer? Where did you go exactly?"

"Oh! I went to Camphrier Town!"

"...Wait, what?"

"Yeah" Max said cheerily, as if the whole event was a joke and hadn't given his friend a heart attack."I waved, and then everything went white, and the Poof-" He waved his arms to put emphasis on the 'poof', "-I was standing right outside the town hall. Gave some pokemon a real scare!"

"Uh... Max, Camphrier Town is miles away. It'd take half a day to walk there. And you got there in half a second?"

"Basically yeah!"

"Please" Sam cut in "don't ever do that again. You really gave me a scare."

"Aww," Max said playfully, reaching out to hook his arm around Sam's neck, "You worry too much." He gave Sam a playful noogie, much to the Kirlia's objection. The girls couldn't help but laugh at the small display of their friendship.

"Hey Kids! Over Here!"

Having made it to the outskirts of the market and where the carriage had been left, it was no small surprise to hear a familiar voice call out. Looking up at the voice revealed a Lucario, next to a Delphox, waving them over. The four friends broke away from their rock-dark typed escort, and trotted over to the two adults.

"So" Maria began once they had gotten over "how was it? Enjoy yourselves?"

They all agreed, Max most energetically and Elizabeth the least so. Max began to regale his parents with the events of the afternoon, with Sam and Audrey adding colorful commentary where appropriate. Elizabeth was much more quiet, recalling the events of _her_ afternoon, and found it distasteful. Her silence did not go unnoticed however.

 _"What's wrong dear? Didn't you enjoy yourself?"_

She looked up to meet her mother's concerned stare. _"It was OK I guess"_

Maria was not satisfied with that answer, much to her disappointment. _"Why don't you tell me about it? Might make you feel better."_

Elizabeth let out a sigh, half in annoyance and half in resentment. _"Well-"_

"Forgive me your Highness. I believe I may have something to do with your daughter's displeasure"

Recognizing the voice and not liking it one bit the Braixen turned, only to be met with a very familiar Zoroark. He didn't have his hand over his muzzle anymore, so it was safe to say that he had gotten over her punch. His expression was, once again, neutral and revealed nothing in terms of emotion.

The rest of the group turned to look at the new addition, and the King and Queen shared a look before Maria spoke. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the Princess had gotten into a bit of trouble with a... rather unsavory individual. I stepped in and extracted her before any harm could come to her. Although-" he glanced to Elizabeth, who stood with arms crossed, "-I don't imagine she appreciates the gesture."

"I would have been fine!" She said, raising her voice just enough to give it a edge and ignoring the looks her family gave her. "Besides, who are you to jump into my business?"

Much to her shock and irritation, the Zoroark chuckled.

"My pardon, Princess. I believe we haven't had the pleasure of being introduced." He shifted an arm behind him, his right held horizontally across his waist, and bowed lightly.

"I have the pleasure of being Kael'themar Soumrak, King of Unova"

…

Elizabeth could only stand and gawk the dark type, pure shock clearly written on her face. She barely registered the rest of her family having similar reactions, though less extreme than her own.

"Ah-hem" her father's cough broke the silence after a few moments, him stepping forward to the slightly shorter pokemon. "My apologies, King Soumrak. I hadn't received word that you were planning a visit." He spoke evenly, but his words held the subtle implication of the fox being uninvited. It was quite common for nobility to have such hidden meanings and implications in their formal talks.

"Yes. Well. That's because this visit is strictly for... personal reasons. Off the record, you understand."

The statement brought confusion to the group present, and the looked to each other in hopes that one of them understood what he meant. Well, everyone save Elizabeth, who had a very different train of thought at the moment...

 _Sweet Arceus I nailed the Unovan King right in the face..._

Ultimately, it was Maria who stepped forward to speak next. "King Soumrak, It is a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to formally welcome you to Kalos." Smiling pleasantly, the Delphox fell into a well-practiced curtsy, with Alexander following suit with a bow of his own. Sam and Audrey, although not being spoken to directly, fell into their own bow and curtsy out of etiquette. "Although we are happy to have you here, I must inquire as to why you've come under such... unique... conditions."

Rather than show concern or offense at the pseudo-interrogation, Kael'themar only smiled as he answered. "Of course. Actually, Queen Maria, why I've come is primarily concerned with you as well as your family."

The Queen rose a brow in mild surprise and interest "Oh?"

"Indeed." Reaching up into his mane of wild fur, the Zoroark withdrew a white envelope. Maria took the item offered to her, and read the writing on the outside. Her expression went from curiosity to shock, and a slight bit of horror. Before anyone could ask, she ripped open the envelope and read over the contents of the letter inside. Her face switched between several emotions, pain and surprise the most common, over the course of reading before she finished. Sighing, she looked almost pleading as she held the letter out to her mate, careful to the writing hidden from everyone else.

As Alexander took the letter and began reading, Maria did something that surprised everyone in the group. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Kael's neck in a tight hug. "I'm sorry" she whispered something else gently, only enough for the Zoroark to hear. The younger fox placed his hands around her back, returning the hug. He mumbled something back to the Delphox, making her chuckle lightly.

After a few moments, she released the hug only to place her hands on his shoulders. She looked him in the eyes, nothing but care radiating from her. "You are most welcome here."

He smiled softly in response "Thank you."

Alexander, having finished with the letter himself, sighed as he put it back in the envelope. He stepped forward to place a hand on the black fox's shoulder, offering his own apologies. The younger members looked at each other confusedly, particularly Max and Elizabeth. They had never seen their parents act so... friendly to someone they were formally meeting, much less one they just met. It raised questions in the both of them, and they made a note to ask when the time seemed appropriate.

"Please," Maria said, "come join us. A banquet will make a nice start to your visit."

Kael'themar smiled but shook his head. "I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. There are some matters that I must attend to here at the market before I leave. And besides," he chuckled "it's already late afternoon. I wouldn't feel right making the kitchen staff rush to prepare a banquet in such a short time. However, I would join you for a small dinner if you'd have me."

Alexander looked down in thought for a moment. "Are you not travelling with the Market Kael'themar? Do you not have your own entourage?"

The Zoroark shook his head. "They are not. I know the actual owners quite well, and talked them into allowing me to travel with them since our destinations were the same. I only have four of my knights in my own company."

"Well then," Maria cut in, "that settles it. You'll join us for dinner this evening, and we will prepare rooms for you and your knights." Kael opened his mouth, as if thinking to protest or add something, but ultimately decided against it and nodded.

The three spoke a few moments more, straightening out any details that remained before parting ways with another round of bowling and curtsies. After bowing to the two older monarchs, Kael'themar turned and bowed once again to Elizabeth, Max, Audrey and Sam before turning to walk back towards the market. Letholdas, after bowing quickly in departure, hurried after the Unovan monarch.

The royal family climbed into the carriage once again and set off towards Lumiose Castle. Unlike the ride earlier, this one was much less excited and much more somber. Most notably off was Maria, who simply stared out the window with fogged over eyes. The rest, sensing her off mood, mostly kept quiet and to themselves.

"Alright," everyone turned to look at the Lucario, "Kale'themar will be joining us for dinner. I'll speak to Cecilia about making a banquet tomorrow. I expect the both of you," he looked meaningfully at the Braixen and Riolu, "to be on your best behavior tonight."

"Yes dad," came the response from both. Elizabeth learned her head on her hand as she stared at the passing scenery. Today had not gone at all like she had thought it would.

She could only hope that tonight went better.

* * *

"Aww c'mon Liz! What's the matter?"

"Nothing Audrey"

A few hours later found Elizabeth and Audrey in the fire type's room, preparing for dinner. Following their father's instructions, Max and Elizabeth had retreated to their room to groom and make themselves presentable. Not wishing to endure the painstaking grooming process she knew Nurse would put her through, Elizabeth had grabbed her friend, sprinted to her room, and had spent the last few hours talking more than preparing.

"Don't be like that Liz. I know when you're upset." The Buneary chatted as she groomed and styled the Braixen's fur. She had a much better eye for fashion than her royal counterpart, and both knew it. More often than not, Elizabeth allowed the normal type to help her prepare herself for company rather than do it herself. "I thought you'd be excited! You've been talking non-stop about suitors coming for months, and now one has. A King no less! That's, like, a upgrade from what you were expecting isn't it? Why are you so... 'blah'?"

Elizabeth sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror of her vanity. Audrey had decided on a sea-blue ribbon around her neck, as well as a shiny finish to her fur. Not as much as she could have done, but this was only a small dinner. She knew she would be dressed up like a doll come tomorrow's banquet. Still, it was a pleasant little addition, adding without overdoing it. Elizabeth approved.

"I don't care that he's a King Audrey. He's a arrogant jerk," Elizabeth huffed. "You should have seen how he spoke to me! He acted like I was a toddler! I'm eighteen for Arceus' sake, I don't need a babysitter."

"Well I'm sure he was just looking out for your well being..."

"He was stalking me! How else would he know where and when to find me? And to just barge in on me? If it was anyone else they would have faced consequences. Instead, he gets to hide behind his title."

"Liz, I think your being a bit harsh," her companion chided as she rummaged through the jewel box sitting next to the mirror. "I know you old enough to look after yourself. But you have to admit, the market was really weird. Like stuff-you've-never-seen-before weird. We really didn't know what to expect or find anything about it right?" Elizabeth nodded, albeit hesitantly. "So isn't it possible that he saved you from something you didn't know about or understand? That doesn't make you stupid or anything, but we were kinda ignorant of how things were. So... just keep that in mind, OK? He seems like a genuine guy, so please don't give him a hard time."

Elizabeth thought on what her fluffy companion had said. True, they had seen things that they never would have imagined. Some of it seemed downright otherworldly. For a moment, she recalled the sense of sand and waves and pelipper cries, like she had was at the coast. But a moment later the memory was gone, and she couldn't quite place where it had come from. Even still, she couldn't argue with her friend. The whole thing was rather surreal, and maybe there was some hidden danger she was unaware of. However, the thought of apologizing to the Zoroark, especially after her little boxing practice, didn't sit well with her. Crawling back to someone to apologize was something she loathed, and doing it so soon afterwards just...

Elizabeth grimaced after wrestling with her thoughts for so long and spoke. "Alright Audrey. I'll take it easy on him. Maybe he's not so bad once you get to know him." The Buneary could easily hear the lack of enthusiasm, almost resentment, in the statement, but declined to confront her about it.

Having lifted a pair of pearl earrings and a golden necklace up to the mirror for effect, she shook her head and placed both back into the box. "Jewelry is overboard. That'll come tomorrow. For tonight, your all set."

Smiling and nodding her thanks, Elizabeth got to her feet and made for her door. Bidding her companion a farewell, she began her walk to her brother's room. Knocking upon arrival, she was greeted with a Kirlia at the door. She smiled, "Evening Sam. Is Max ready?"

Sam nodded then looked over his shoulder. "OK Max, time to go." A moment later a freshened up Riolu appeared at the door and, after a short farewell to his friend, the siblings were on their way. Elizabeth hopped that the walk would be silent, as she was still shifting through her thoughts on their guest. Max had other plans it seemed.

"So," the short fighting type began with a knowing smirk, "what are you gonna say when he asks to marry you?"

Elizabeth said nothing as she reached over and tweaked his ear.

"OW!"

The rest of the walk passed in silence as the pair arrived at their destination. Knocking on the door as they had done that morning, they were greeted with a muffled " _come in_ ", and they entered.

The familiar sitting room helped put some of Elizabeth's apprehension at ease. The fireplace was lit, and the chairs had been rearranged to be closer to the table in a star formation, closer to a actual dining room than the laid-back arrangement they had eaten lunch in. Once again, they were the last to arrive. Their parents sat in the same position from lunch, both looking just as comfortable as earlier. Next to Maria sat Kael'themar, also looking completely at ease. The three nodded at the pair as they took the two open seats. Much to Elizabeth's chagrin, Max took the seat closest to their father, leaving her to sit next to their guest.

"Good evening Maxwell, Elizabeth," the dark type greeted.

"Hello!" Came Max's reply, wheras Elizabeth opted to nod instead as both took their seats.

Once comfortable, their father spoke up. "Well I'm sure you kids have some questions. So go ahead and ask anything you-"

"I HAVE QUESTIONS!" Came Max's enthusiastic response.

Their Zoroark guest couldn't help but chuckle at Max's outburst. "Oh, so this is where the interrogation starts is it? Very well Max, ask away."

"What's with your name?"

"...Umm. You'll have to be more specific Maxwell. I don't follow."

"Your name," Max said as if it was the obvious answer. "It sounds so weird! Almost like it's made up. Not that it's a bad name, it's actually kinda cool! But why that name? Who came up with it? Can I call you Kael instead?"

Kael'themar had a blank look on his face for a few moment before he burst out laughing. It took him a second of stifling his laughter behind his hand before he commented. "Well those are genuine questions aren't they? You sure speak from the heart Maxwell."

"Really? I thought I was speaking with my mouth! But I guess that shows what I know about biology!"

Another round of laughter, this time including Alexander and Maria, and ever some giggles from Elizabeth. "Well," Kael began, "Yes my name is rather odd to you I imagine. It's not based on Common poke-tongue. It's based on a dead dialect of northern Unova. My ancestors lived in a clan there a few dozen generations ago. Eventually they migrated south, and integrated with modern society. My mother, who studied the old tongue, gave me a name that they would have used. And yes, you both may call me Kael if it suits you."

The next fifteen minutes was spent in pleasant conversation, with Kael being the topic for the most part. They asked him several question about himself, and he answered promptly. One of the most surprising things to Elizabeth was that he was twenty, not that much older than herself, with a birthday in early autumn. Besides that, he was a relatively well mannered pokemon, and he openly admitted he found himself rather boring. Most of his days were spent meeting with other political leaders, accounting, and other necessary but boring tasks of running a kingdom. Very rarely did he ever get any time to relax of pursue a hobby as the siblings so often did.

They were in the middle of chatting when they heard knocking at the door. After Alexander called out for them to enter, the door opened to reveal a very familiar Slurpuff. Once again pushing in a trolley filled with food, and having the same silly smile on her face, Cecilia strode in for the second time that day. Accompanying her was Audrey, who shot a interested look at Elizabeth. The fire fox smiled and nodded softly, causing the rabbit to beam brightly.

"Good evening your Majesties," Cecilia said in a loud, authoritative voice. Despite the attempt to look formal, the goofy grin and over exaggeration in her voice made her look more comical than anything. But she probably already knew that, and was doing it to keep the mood light. "We have prepared a wide array of dishes for you enjoyment this evening. Should anything be found wanting, or you find that you have a craving that cannot be satisfied, please bring it to my attention post-hast so that I may satisfy you fully. Without further adieu, I bid you _bon appetite."_

With her little speech completed, and the meal laid out by Audrey during, the pair curtsied and left the five to their evening. The selection was wide and varied. Slabs of steak, a few loaves of bread, and large garden salad were the most plentiful. Steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, slices of cheese and a arrangement of berries accompanied the main courses. A pot of tea, a large pitcher of moomoo milk, and another of cherry cordial stood by to wash it all down. And for dessert was a pair of bowls, one containing various nuts, all covered in chocolate or caramel or powdered sugar while the other held candied fruits. A delicious meal to be sure.

As everyone began to help themselves to the spread, a question crossed Elizabeth's mind. "Kael."

He looked up as he placed food onto his plate. "Yes?"

"I had a question. Not about you, but about Unova."

He nodded "And what might that be?"

She took a moment to think, to consider how to word her question. "Your King. That means Unova is a monarchy, like us. But I remember that some of my books said Unova had a council that made decisions about how to run it. Which would make it a Republic, but Republics don't have monarchs or inheritance. Can you clear up the confusion?"

Kale smiled. Not in a condescending or teasing manner, but one that showed genuine amusement. "A very astute observation Elizabeth." He set his plate down on the table as he leaned back and looked up for a few moments. "You are correct on both accounts." His smile grew slightly at the confused look she gave. "I am King, which is a monarch position, which I inherited from my parents. I do make decisions about how to manage the kingdom, and I do handle most correspondence with other kingdoms." He paused a moment, scrunching up his face in what looked like difficulty wording his thoughts. "However, there is a council that I must work with when making the larger decisions that affect the populace. It's a group of thirteen others. All older than I, from all around Unova, and all different backgrounds. Each represents a different group, the military, the merchants, farmers, craftsmen, scientists, and so on. They all put in their two cents on the larger matters, and if seventy-five percent of them are in agreement on a issue, they overrule me."

"Why?" Came Max's voice. He had stopped mid-bite to speak up. "That seems kinda silly. Why would they need that? We have mom and dad make all the decisions, and Kalos is doing great! Why can't Unova do the same? Are you a bad person or something?"

"MAX!" The blue pup flinched at his mother's scolding tone.

Kael sighed, his face dropping a bit from it's neutral look as he closed his eyes. "I don't consider myself to be one, although I'm sure there are others who would have different opinions of me." He opened one eye to look directly at Elizabeth. The piercing gaze, and the subtle implication that came with him looking solely at her, caused her to look down at her meal in discomfort. "The reason, young Maxwell, is because of the past."

Four confused faces greeted his response, so he decided to clarify. "My great great grandfather, Řezník (Jezz-neek) the Red, was a tyrant. He abused the power of the throne, and started several wars, executed his political enemies, and even started a genocide of normal-types. Thankfully, he was eventually overthrown by the Unovan people, but his rule left the idea of an all-powerful monarch... less than appealing." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "After some discussions, the council was formed as a sort of... checks and balances. So as not to have a repeat of him."

Silence greeted his explanation. No one had expected such a story behind the odd governing body of Unova, nor the serious nature it carried.

Eventually, things returned to normal... or as normal as could be expected. Everyone tried to push the dark history lesson behind them and enjoy their supper. Kael asked some questions himself about the siblings and their lives. What was striking was what he asked. He never asked simple things like their favorite color or sport. Rather, he asked what they enjoyed reading, favorite weather, and other oddities of their character. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel suspicious about it. It felt like he was... fishing for something, seeking specific information without being obvious about it. She could only wonder...

Her moment of thought was broken when she heard her name. "Thank you for joining us Kael'themar," her father was saying, "if you'll follow Elizabeth, she'll show you to your room."

Berating herself for her flustered thoughts, she rose hastily, wished her family a good night, and made for the door. She hear Kael rise, give his own farewell, and begin following her as she stepped out the door. The sound of her family wishing them good night was cut off as the door closed.

The walk in and of itself wasn't horrible, but she wasn't exactly enjoying it. She still didn't particularly care for the pokemon next to her. He was... OK, for lack of a better term. Still, she didn't know all that much about him, and a first impression is hard to shake. Even more bothering was his apparent shift in attitude between the market and his formal visit. So rather than try to make awkward small talk, she chose to remain silent. Kael, perhaps having the same train of thought, did the same.

Except for their footsteps, the hallway was silent as they walked. It was dark out, with the moon well into it's rise and stars peppering the sky. Normally the Braixen might have stopped and admired the scene for some time. Tonight afforded her no such luck.

Arriving at the guest door prepared for their royal guest, she turned to face him. He stood a appropriate distance away, looking at her expectantly. She was taken back for a moment as she met his eyes. In the dimly lit hallway at this hour of night, and with his naturally dark fur, his eyes seemed to stand out all the more. Blue and green stared back at her, not quite glowing, but close. In some small, dark recess of her mind, she thought that, under slightly different circumstances, those eye would be terrifying to see. But at the same time, another part argued that, in a third scenario, it would be exciting to run into him in such a secluded place...

Shaking herself for her scattered thoughts, she gestured to the door besides her. "Your room. I hope you have a good night Kael'themar." He nodded as he said "thank you," and reached for the knob as she began he walk to her own room. Before she had taken five steps, a thought occurred to her. They were alone, so she could openly speak her question without her family prying for details.

"Hey. About our meeting at the market..."

The dark type, hand still on the handle, moved away from the door as he faced her. "Yes?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "What was with the Dusknoir? You didn't sound too happy to see him."

Kael kept his composure, his poker face impressive. She began to wonder if his face was actually made of obsidian for all the emotion she'd seen him emit. "True. I didn't care for him. Had I been a minute later, their could have been serious consequences for you."

"I don't understand," she insisted. "What was so bad about getting a fortune told?"

"The fortune wasn't the problem, although I have my doubts about that as well. My concern was with the payment."

"Pssh," she waved his concern off as she shrugged her shoulders. "Is that it? You of all people should know that I don't want for money. No matter how exorbitant his price, I would have had enough poke to cover it. If not on my person than I could have-"

"Money isn't the issue."

That statement caught her by surprise. She turned to look back at him. He had shifted, the head now looking off to the side, out the window and up at the stars. "Please try to understand Princess. You look into things, study long and hard enough, you learn secrets that you'd much rather not know. One of those is that there are other, more..." He turned to stare at her, his steely gaze easily unnerving her "... _Permanent_... methods of payment."

She laughed uneasily, the only reaction she could come up with. "S-so, like what? He was... trying to eat my soul or something?" She tried to laugh again at how absurd the statement was. But she quickly stopped when the Zoroark gave no reaction, continuing to stare, more _through her_ than at her.

For reasons she couldn't fathom, she was scared. She had expected a laugh, smile, some reaction to the ludicrous statement she just put out there. But his serious reaction threw her off.

 _What's his problem? He's so serious about this. I don't get it. It's not like what I said is possi-_

Her blood ran cold as she felt, for a split second, a feather-light touch run across her shoulder and down her back to rest at her side. Then, in the back of her mind, barely audible, was a voice:

 _"Now the Lady must pay..."_

In a instant, Elizabeth lost all her nerve. Turning away and spitting out a hasty "good night," she ran down the hall. She didn't turn to see if he was still watching her. She could feel his gaze on her back as she retreated down the hall and back to her own room.

Reaching her destination, she shoved open the door and slammed it shut, resting her back on it as she panted for breath. She tried to control her breathing and slow her panic, but to no avail. How long she stood there she couldn't guess, but eventually her breath returned and she could think properly.

 _What in Arceus' name was that?_

The thought bounced around in her head as she readied herself for bed. As she put away her accessory, brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face, she went through any and all possible explanations for what she experienced. And each was discarded. It wasn't until she had lit the fireplace and gotten under the covers and tried to sleep that a explanation presented itself.

 _The wind! Yeah, that's all the noise was. The wind whistling down the hall. And I was probably just inside for so long that the breeze felt like someone touching me. Yeah... yeah that's all it was... no need to stress Liz..._

Before she could fall asleep, one more point presented itself: Keal'themar's reaction. What had that been about? He seemed awfully serious about whatever he had on his mind.

 _Who knows... guy's a weirdo... But that's his problem, not mine..._

* * *

 _She couldn't remember where she was._

 _Everything was black, people running and screaming just adding to her confusion. She walked slowly, hoping to see something that might give her a location. She looked around constantly, hoping for a landmark or sign to tell her something about where she was and what was going on._

 _She got it a minute later, in the form of and explosion of fire._

 _She looked and saw her home in flames. The fire licked at every home, every building, and even the grass and trees. The very sight brought some pain to her heart. She had family and friends there. If it was all on fire then..._

"I'm sorry," _someone said. She turned to the voice and squinted at the light from the fire behind him. She could barely make out a dark color, with bits of yellow in places. Whoever he was, he walked towards her, stopping a few meters off. Whoever he was, he was tall, dark, and had a single glowing red eye..._

 _The figure lifted it's arm and pointed at her. She flinched, closing her eyes in anticipation, but nothing happened. Looking once again revealed the figure standing there, still as stone while It pointed. She opened her mouth to ask, to ask what was going on. To ask where they were. To ask why they were sorry. To ask_ anything.

"She's the one," _it spoke again._

 _Instantly, a loud roar came from above, causing her to kneel down and cover her ears in pain. She heard a great flapping of wings, then the ground shook._ _ **"So this is my prize is it?"**_

 _Terrified yet curious, she tilted her head up to look at whoever spoke._

 _The creature was the biggest she'd ever seen. It was some sort of dark-colored bird, if the talons and wings were any indication. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was quickly deterred by the second roar. The large creature threw it's head back and gave another ear-splitting cry. Except this time, the bird lit up. It's body glowed a blood red, with black tracing the outer edges and some streaks along it's body._

 _It lowered it's head and looked her in the eye. She saw blue eyes with a pupil that glowed red from within. She tried to speak, to move, to run, to ANYTHING. But the gaze paralyzed her, no matter how hard she tried to move. She was forced to watch as the creature grew a sinister grin._

 _ **"I'm coming for you, little pet"**_

* * *

Elizabeth gasped as she sat up straight in her bed. She was panting heavily, and both her and her sheets were soaked in sweat. She placed a hand on her chest to help calm her stampeding heart. She looked around and confirmed that she was still in her room, everything just as she had left it. She sat still, trying to control her breathing and racing mind.

She tried to recall her dream, but it was like catching smoke with her bare hands. She had some faint recollection of fire and a town and a familiar figure and... some horrible creature. The harder she tried, the less she remembered. Eventually, she couldn't recall what exactly had scared her, but it had been terrifying whatever it was.

Swinging the covers off and her legs over the edge, she stood up and walked over to open her balcony door. The cool night air was incredibly pleasant, and helped her relax quickly. She looked up and saw innumerable stars dot the sky. She tried to look and point out constellations, but she never had any mind for picking one group of stars out of the thousands that were up there.

Still, they were nice to look at.

Judging by the moon, it was around midnight. And not wanting to be exhausted for the day ahead of her, she took a few more minutes to clear her mind and stare before returning indoor. She opted to keep the door open, however. The fresh night air was comforting and pleasing and would help her relax she told herself.

Deciding a glass of water would be needed before she could sleep, she wandered towards her nightstand, where a glass and pitcher were kept every night. A glass, maybe two, and then she's sleep. However she was surprised to see a glass vial next to her pitcher. It wasn't very big, around the size of a drinking glass, and whatever inside was white. The vial had a large, rounded bottom and thin neck. It had delicate engravings and designs going around the sides, but she didn't care enough to look closer. What she did take note of was the small note tied to the neck labeled 'Drink me'.

Deciding this must be some sort of gift, either from Audrey or another maid, she uncorked it and drank. Whatever it was, it was delicious. It had the consistency of warm moomoo milk, but was much richer and smooth than any she'd had before. She could have easily drank a pitcher on her own, but when it ran out, she found herself oddly satisfied.

She laid down in bed, feeling much more relaxed than she had awoken. She shifted to make herself comfortable and closed her eyes. A few seconds later found her snoring peacefully.

What she had missed when she had picked up the vial, either to the dark room or her own lack of perception, was the tiny string of twine that, to the bottle, attached a small tuft of black fur.

The second thing that she missed, this time due to her falling asleep, was the black figure that snuck over her balcony and into her room. It reached out to take the vial but stopped a moment as it turned to leave. It looked over her as she slept, concern and a hit of pity in it's eyes that didn't quite glow, but were close.

Then it was gone, disappeared into the night leaving no trace of it's visit except for a fluttering curtain.

* * *

 **So interestingly enough, this chapter was actually supposed to get a little farther in the story. But after looking it over, I decided that it would drag on if I did end it where I planned. So I cut it in two, trimmed and polished it, and the first part ended up as this.**

 **Any advice/criticisms/suggestions/life advice for me? Lemme know!**

 **Also, be sure to tip you waiters and waitresses when you go out!**

 **Cheers!**

 **Mr. Maverick77**


	3. A Kalos Welcome

Elizabeth's morning was not going well for her.

She had awoken oddly groggy and irritated. She didn't recall the last night all that well. She blurrily remembered the market, dinner, and then taking Kael to his room. Something stirred at the back of her head, some vague recollection of a horrible dream. But it was so faint and blurry that perhaps it was more something she thought. Or perhaps, a thought that she had dreamt.

She couldn't help but growl at the realization of how she had last left Kael. How appropriate, she thought wistfully, that having that weird fox be the last person she interacts with would cause her to have a poor night's sleep. For a moment, she thought that she was being unfair. Kael wasn't Darkrai, didn't have control over dreams. Blaming him for something that was surely out of his control caused her to feel guilt for a moment.

The moment quickly passed.

Not feeling up to her normal routine she lay back in her bed, drawing the covers up to her chin. She would tell Audrey, usually the first to visit her in the morning, she wasn't feeling well. The Buneary would bring her breakfast in bed, and the Braixen would lounge in bed for the day until she had to prepare for the banquet that night.

Unfortunately for her, Nurse wasn't having it.

"What are you doing!?"

The elderly Audino had barged in and was immediately on her case. She has spent a good fifteen minutes scolding the fire-type for leaving the door open, blaming the girl's poor rest and irritable mood on too much fresh air. No matter how much she tried to argue, Elizabeth just couldn't convince the older female to let her stay in bed today.

Groaning in irritation, she threw her covers off and made her way to her bathroom to draw herself a bath. If she couldn't have the day to herself, then at least she could try to enjoy what she could.

Thankfully Audrey appeared not long after Nurse's intrusion, and was much more pleasant in her help. Perhaps because she sensed Elizabeth's sour mood, or maybe to avoid annoying the Audino in the room.

So after filling the tub with hot water, quickly heated by herself, the got in and laid back, propping her head on the edge. She didn't normally like getting wet, but hot baths and springs were the exception. Especially on days like these, where a long enjoyable soak would help her unwind and hopefully put her in a better mood.

Audrey, after helping her settle in comfortably, hopped around gathering various items from various places. With a armful of things, she hopped back and dropped a pink ball into the bath water. It immediately began to dissolve, coloring the water pink and a pleasant floral fragrance made itself known. Elizabeth sighed contently, and murmed her thanks to her friend. Soon enough the Buneary began to run a soft brush through the Braxien's head fur and ear tufts. The very pleasant massage, coupled with the hot bath, melted away the tension and stress she was feeling from the unpleasant night.

After a few minutes of this, she began to doze off, her troubles gone at least for the moment...

* * *

Max's morning was going comparatively better than his sister's.

Having had no nightmares to spoil his sleep, the Riolu awoke in much better spirits than his older sibling. And opting for a active start to his day rather than lounging, he made his way to the courtyard just outside the castle barracks.

Naturally, he made a small detour and stopped by the wing of the castle housing the sleeping quarters for the staff. A few knocks at a certain door rewarded him with a Kirlia, still slightly groggy, and the pair were off before long.

The two exchanged idle small talk as they walked. The market and their new guests were the center of their chatter. Both agreed that the market was, overall, enjoyable, and that they liked the new dark-type addition to the castle. Although, Sam being the more cautious of the two, held some suspicion when it came to the Unovan King.

He chose to refrain from telling his friend this.

The sun was low in the sky as the two entered the courtyard. It was early enough that a majority of the guards would still be sleeping or on guard for another hour or two before their shift ended. This left the training yard quite empty, and the two wouldn't have to worry about spectators for some time.

The training yard itself wasn't all that impressive. On one side of the yard stood the barracks, a three story building where the guards slept and ate in their off time. Across the yard stood a small armory, stables, and tool shed. The third side lead to the castle, while the fourth side held several pathways to various other training areas. The center of the courtyard was a simple large ring for sparring and demonstrations. Lined up near the actual barracks were wooden practice dummies, ever holding their simple T shape.

After performing a series of stretches, Max marched up to a dummy and relaxed his muscles. He recalled from his sparring teacher that relaxing ones muscles was important in proper fighting. The old Medichan was strict and usually wore a scowl, but he was the closest thing to a proper fighting teacher that Max had.

He could remember, rather vividly, how the fighting-psychic type had told Max that fighting was an _art_. He chuckled dryly. _"How,"_ he had asked _"is an art going to help me in a fight?"_ He had never gotten a response, other than a light slap on the shoulder as he was told to assume first position.

Deciding to just stick to his 'training', he assumed first position. Shoulders loose, lead foot behind the other, hands held in front of him with palms out. He breathed deeply, leveled his gaze at the dummy, and focused.

A moment later he sprung forward.

He closed the distance with Quick Attack, throwing a punch when he got close enough. A solid _'Thwack'_ greeted his successful hit. The dummy, attached to a swivel, spun it's arms in response. He ducked, then threw a few jabs at the stomach and sides. Avoiding the resulting spins, he finished with a Brick Break. The dummy shuddered and spun on it's stand as Max jumped back, carrying the weight in the balls of his feet, just as he'd been taught.

He allowed himself a slight smirk. He imagined the old Medichan would be impressed at that display. Emboldened by the small confidence boost, he jump forward again, this time opening with a double Force Palm, followed by a few jabs and finishing with a right hook. The dummy never did anything except spin in one direction, sometimes in the opposite. But they never offered any _real_ resistance, and Max found himself quickly growing bored after another maneuver or two.

Eventually, he decided to try something flashy and different, confident in his ability to avoid the dummy's only move. So opening with Quick Attack, he chained it with a Force Palm uppercut, transitioning into a roundhouse kick. He couldn't help but smile as it felt good to show off a little, even if he and Sam were the only two present.

His satisfaction was quickly dashed when he landed at a awkward angle and stumbled to catch his balance. This few seconds of altered attention was enough for him to not notice the spinning arms of his target. The result was him getting solidly smacked in the face.

He stumbled backwards, a hand flying to his cheek as he found his footing. His face burned, half from the smack, half from the blush of embarrassment and frustration. To be hit by a basic training dummy was a blow to his pride. He had hit this same target dozens of times before, and had always been able to handle it. He considered himself a decent fighter, surely good enough to not be beaten by the pile of cloth and wood in front of him. He mentally scolded himself for letting himself be hit.

Remembering that he had a audience, he turned to look at his Kirlia companion, still pressing his hand to his cheek. To the psychic type's credit, he was trying to look encouraging, or at least not seem condescending. He offered at awkward mixed smile. Not quite a smile, but not a frown either. Although Max knew the Kirlia was trying to seem supportive, the gesture was lost on him at the moment.

"Having some trouble there Max?"

The Riolu jumped at the voice. Turning to look, he found a familiar Zoroark leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest and a quizzical look on his face. Max and Sam found it odd that, despite being larger and heavier than both of them, the dark-type managed to sneak up on the both of them.

"Oh! Good morning your Majesty!" Sam bowed quickly when he noticed Kael. The fox waved off the greeting.

"Please, just Kael. We aren't dotting on formality here Sam." Sam only nodded in response, albeit with a nervous look on his face. "So," Kael said turning to the short fighting-type, "do you usually spend your morning fighting wooden training dummies?"

"Well," came the hesitant reply, "sometimes. I gotta train if I want to get stronger, you know?"

The fox nodded his head. "True, true. Although," he smiled softly, "I take it that wooden dummies don't offer much of a challenge do they?

Max couldn't help but look at his feet in embarrassment, the stinging in his cheek seeming all the more pronounced under the older pokemon's gaze."W-well...no. Not very much."

"And let me guess," Kael continued," the guards and other military types won't spare or train with you?" Max nodded. "And any nobles your age around here are incredibly inept when it comes to battling, correct?" Another nod. Kael laughed. "Just as I thought."

Much to the surprise of Max and Sam, Kael sauntered over to the dummy to stand beside it, before turning on his heel and spreading his arms. "Alright, come at me."

The two stood staring, mouths agape, at the Zoroark's blatant challenge. It was several seconds later that they snapped out of it and voiced their opinions.

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me. You won't get any better fighting wood and cloth. And the guards won't fight you, for fear of harming their prince. So," he smirked, "the only other one who would actually fight you is another noble. Unlike all those other incompetent fools, I actually know how to fight."

Max couldn't help but frown at the statement as he raised a brow quizzically. "You know how to fight? Like a real, full contact, Moves allowed fight?"

"That's right."

"Pfff. Right." For a moment, Max didn't realize who he was talking to. Or, perhaps, he didn't care. "No offense Kael, but what makes you think you're any better than any of the other nobles?"

Kael only smirked. "Oh, I've been a scrap or two, believe you me."

"I don't see it"

The Zoroark smirked wider. "Then this should be an easy win, shouldn't it?"

Max frowned for a moment, thinking over the proposal laid out before him. It didn't take long for him to nod his consent. "OK. You're on."

The pair moved over to the large empty sparring circle. Max took a moment to hyper himself up, punching the air a few times while hopping from foot to foot. Ready to take on his opponent, he spun to face the fox and assumed first position. He was immediately confused when he saw that Kael was simply standing across from him, hands haning loosley, slouched as always.

"What are you doing!?" He cried. "Get into your stance so we can fight!"

"I'm ready to battle you as is Max."

"You said I was having trouble? Look at yourself! Your stance is... you don't even have a battle stance!"

"Then you should have little problem trouncing me, eh?"

The Riolu ground his teeth together. Kael volunteered to assist him in his training, but then wasn't taking it seriously? _"Fine,"_ he thought to himself as he glared, _"if that's how it is, then I'll put him on his tail!"_

Letting out a vicious (In his mind) battle cry, he used Quick Attack to launch himself towards his opponent. His plan was to simply land solid Force Palm or two, maybe throw in a Brick Break for good measure. Despite having little actual fighting experience outside of the scarce lessons with his father, he was sure he was better than Kael. And to top it off, he had the type advantage. A few super effective hits and the fox would be yielding without breaking a sweat.

His plan did not go as he had hoped.

He was speeding towards the Zoroark, Force Palm built and ready to deliver, when he was lifted off his feet, everything sped by in a blur, and he let out a "OOF" as he landed on his back. He lay there for a minute, trying to catch the breath that was knocked from him, staring up at the morning sky. Groaning, he eventually got to his feet, looking up at the only other pokemon in the ring.

Kael stood there, in the same position as they began, in the same exact spot, with the same exact expression on his face. He didn't know why, but those facts annoyed Max greatly. Enough for him to jump to his feet and attack again. A second time he went flying to land roughly on the sand. He tried a third, and thrice was he thrown to the floor.

His fourth attempt was different. He found his feet much quicker, speeding towards Kael in an attempt to catch him off guard. This time, Kael was forced to actually move from his spot, much to Max's satisfaction. His joy was short lived though, as Kael, glowing with a odd dark aura and blindingly fast, reached out to grab his wrist and then slammed a fist into his stomach. With the air knocked from his lungs, Max flew into the sand, rollin a few times before coming to a stop.

"MAX!"

Sam ran to the Riolu's side, helping him to his hands and knees while rubbing his back, hoping to help him catch his breath. Sam gently instructed his friend to take deep breaths and control his breathing. Max, not able to say anything in protest, simply obeyed. He gradually felt his breath return and the pain in his stomach dull slightly, and he looked up in time to see a red-clawed hand offered to him.

"You alright?"

Max stared a bit before grabbing the help offered and being pulled to his feet. Despite taking the help, he couldn't bring himself to look up from his feet. He expected Kael to go into a bragging fest, boasting at his victory over the younger fighting-type. Any minute now, he would be chastised, told to stick to his wooden dummies and not take on pokemon obviously stronger than him. Nobles were always snobby, and never let a chance to say 'I told you so' pass them by.

But the monologue never came. Instead, silence stretched on until Max's curiosity grew too strong, and he peaked up. Instead of the snobby, arrogant look he expected, the Zoroark was simply taking him in with a measured stare. Max tried to think of something to say, but his mind and tongue failed him. Luckily for him, Kael had much less trouble finding words.

"Would you like to learn?"

It was a surprise that Max didn't injure his neck he snapped his head up so fast. "Huh?"

"I said would you like to learn how to fight?"

Suspicion was the first thing to come into the little Riolu's mind at the proposal. He initially thought this was some kind of trap, draw him in then humiliate him when the opportunity presented itself. He almost told the fox off just as a reaction.

But, looking up into his black furred face, he didn't detect any malice or deceit in the odd colored eyes. Kael only had a soft, genuine smile on his face as he awaited the answer.

Ultimately, Max nodded his head, smiling himself.

The dark-type laughed a mirthful laugh, and Max couldn't help but giggle quietly.

"OK," he said, still wearing his smile "let's begin."

* * *

Max was quite impressed with Kael's knowledge on battling. The biggest thing he noticed about Kael's personal style put a lot of emphasis on reflexes and speed.

Kael, with Max and Sam by his side, went through the steps of what he had done to Max minutes earlier. Max had assumed that he was using some Move that he wasn't familiar with, one that gave him some speed advantage, or made him invulnerable like Protect. But he was wrong. As Kael walked through the steps, he saw it wasn't anything of the sort. It was just using his body.

It was really quite simple when he thought about it. The Zoroark, lacking the raw physical might of a Machamp or Lucario, relied more on twists and throws. He watched as Kael explained how he had grabbed Max's wrist, brought it close to his body as he shoved his opposite shoulder into Max's chest, then twisted his hips to, using his shoulder as a fulcrum, throw the Riolu to the ground.

"Fighting," he explained, "is much more than throwing Moves back and forth and the occasional dodge. There's a whole lot more. You must rely on your skill, on the environment, and even on deception, to be victorious. Think on your feet, play to your strengths, and, if the fight is calls for it, do whatever you can to win."

"But wouldn't that be cheating?" Came Max's objection.

"I'm not talking about battling Max. Battles, and by extension duels and tournaments, are regulated. They stop at a certain point, and the worst someone gets is bruises, some broken bones, and a wounded pride. A fight can be to the death. In these situations, you must take every opportunity you can. If you don't, your enemy will. Remember, in these situations, it is kill or be killed."

The trio spent a few hours together in that sparring yard, the eldest drilling the younger two, ignoring the occasional passing guard or servant. Most of it wasn't hard in and of itself. Rather, it was meant to build muscle memory and reaction time. Shooting into a defensive position from a rest, redirecting a blow, maintaining balance and improving footwork. The Riolu and Kirlia worked up a good sweat in their drills, but never relented or quit.

Something the both of them noticed, and both appreciated, was that Kael didn't sit off to the side barking orders. He was always right by their side, walking through the exercises, demonstrating where they had problems, and giving helpful advice to improving their form. Their reaction time was sluggish to him, their balance weak, and form terrible, but Kael didn't voice these thoughts. After all, these things didn't happen in a afternoon.

Eventually, Kael told them to stop and rest. The trio walked over to the stables, pulled up some chairs from the armory next door, and sat in the shade. Kael disappeared for a minute only to reappear with three skins of water. The three lounged for a bit, sipping the cool liquid and enjoying the rest in the shade. They, when the urge struck them, chatted about idle topics such as the weather, simply enjoying the quiet companionship.

Eventually, Kael was the first one who rose to his feet. "Alright you two, on your feet. We all need to make ready for tonight." A moan of regret, or perpahs laziness, was what met his statement. After a some coaxing on his part, Sam and Max found their feet, and the three began the walk back to their rooms for a bath before tonight's festivities.

It was Sam who, as they walked, noticed that Kael had disappeared from their side soon after starting. Glancing back, he saw the Zoroark leaning against the barracks wall, one hand on the stone and the other against his chest, eyes clenched shut. Concerned, he spoke, "Kael, is everything alright?"

By this time, Max had stopped slightly ahead of Sam and was looking at Kael, with interest more than concern. The Unovan Monarch opened his eyes to see his two younger companions staring at him. Attempting to ease their concern, he smiled, although it appeared pained. "Apologies boys. I'm a bit winded. It's been quite some time since I've had such a workout. A bit different than the paperwork and lab work I'm used too."

"I bet!" Max said enthusiastically. "Paperwork sounds soooooo boring! You need to work out more!" A innocent smile punctuated his statement, and the older fox couldn't help but smile in response.

"heh... your right of course." Pushing himself off the wall he leaned on, Kael caught up to the two. "Let's be on our way." Max happily agreed, a bath sounding very appealing at the moment. Sam, fighting emotions of curiosity, suspicion, and worry, followed his friends, choosing to remain quiet. Something, perhaps his intuition, told him that something wasn't right, although he couldn't put his hand on what it could be. But, as his companions chatted amongst themselves, he simply made a mental note to keep his eye out for anything suspicious

* * *

"OW! Nurse!"

"Oh hush miss Princess. It's not that bad."

"You're trying to SCALP ME!"

The early afternoon found Elizabeth once again being attacked by a heavy-handed brush. Having washed up proper, she now sat and endured the vicious brushing courtesy of her Audino nurse. As usual, it was more of a trial of her endurance than a peaceful grooming other girls would receive. Except tonight, Nurse seemed extra enthusiastic about it, much to the Braixen's chagrin.

"OWW!" She cried after a particularly strong pull. "What are you doing Nurse? Are you TRYING to take all my fur off?"

Nurse made a less-than-pleased noise from the back of her throat. "Please, what I'm doing is a Arceus-send compared to what we had to go through back in the day. Besides, you must look presentable, both for the guests and King Kael'themar."

Elizabeth snorted in response. "Kael'themar. Please, why would I care what he thinks? Sooner he leaves, the better I say."

Nurse, quite displeased with that statement, flipped the brush in her hand round and smacked her on the top of the head soundly with the back of it.

 _THUD_

"OWW! What was THAT for!?"

"A Princess doesn't go around bad-mouthing others who don't deserve it." She waggled the brush towards the reflection in the mirror. "And especially those who are her seniors. Kael'themar hasn't been here two whole days and you already want him gone. Why?"

Elizabeth looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts and trying to figure out how best to explain it to the older female. "Well... He's... Odd Nurse. Like Really weird and boring."

Changing a glance up into the mirror, she saw Nurse's face. She looked completely unimpressed, raised eyebrows and all. She flicked her wrist in a circular motion, telling the girl to go on. "Like, odd stuff always happens to me when he's around." Elizabeth, having let her thoughts, found herself letting thoughts and emotions flow off her tongue as if a damn had broken. "I've had nightmares and weird feelings ever since he showed. And when he's not being creepy, he's so boring! I mean he's a Zoroark! Where's the flair, the charisma, the roguish charm? There are plenty of stories of dashing Zoroarks sweeping princesses off their feet, yet he's so... dull."

Nurse, who had continued her grooming task as her Princess spoke, didn't say anything other than a non-commentary _"Hmph"_

"What?"

"Nothing miss Princess."

"No no no, I heard that. You don't 'hmph' unless your upset. What did I say that's so bad?"

"Well, if you must know, your being awfully judgmental towards someone you've known for less than two days, don't you think? Especially since your comparing him to stereotypes."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth and opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find her voice. As much as she didn't want to, she felt guilty at the accusation. Nurse noticed her hesitation, and pressed on. "You should know better than to judge other based on what they _should be_. Is it fair to assume that I should just be some old doctor since I'm a Audino, or that Audrey bends herself over for every male she meets just because she's a Buneary?"

"W-well no..."

"Then why do it to Kael'themar?"

"…"

"Exactly." Nurse sighed. "I can't control how you think, miss Princess. But I urge you to listen. Have you ever thought that you find Kael so unpleasant because you have impossibly high, preconceived standards for him?" Silence. "That's what I thought. It's not fair to him, and not fair to yourself."

The Audino, having finally finished with the task of taming the fire-hued fur, put the brush on the vanity and petted Elizabeth's head, surprisingly gentle. "Remember Elizabeth, those stories that your parents told you about? The knights in shining armor rescuing princesses from towers, good winning over evil with the help of the Legendaries? They are just that: stories. You shouldn't expect life to be like that... You'll be disappointed if you do..."

The two stood in silence for a while. They had never truly had a heart-to-heart like this, and it was a odd feeling for the both of them. They let the moment sink in, not knowing when, or _if_ , it would happen again.

Nurse was the one to break the quiet moment. "Well, that's enough of that. Now come on Princess. You still need to finish getting ready."

Elizabeth remained quiet, digesting the advice Nurse had given her. She simply nodded, not listening completely, and stood to follow Nurse as she stepped towards the closet.

* * *

As the sun began to set, there was noticeable movement towards the castle. Every noble within a day's travel had made their way to Lumiose. Communication with other kingdoms was usually in the form of messengers and envoys. The most personal relations were the occasional hand-written letter. But to have another Monarch, especially one of another powerful kingdom like Unova, was rare. Certainly not something that should be missed if it could be helped. So everybody who was anybody in Kalosian politics who was within a day's ride made their way to the capital.

Fully expecting such a reaction, the King and Queen made the proper preparations.

As the first guests began to arrive, the castle staff bean to usher them into the main parlor. The parlor itself was a spacious room just inside the main door to the castle. A grand staircase stood adjacent to the large oak doors, and a second floor ringed around the room, halfway to the ceiling, connected to the stairs and supported by solid stone columns below. A second set of doors stood at the back of the wall at the top of the stairs, as well as at various other points on the first and second floor.

Perhaps the oddest thing, at least to one unfamiliar with the workings of high society, was that almost every pokemon in attendance was dressed in some clothing in some way.

Most pokemon forsook clothing in favor of accessories such as scarves or bands. However, clothing and other ways to show one's wealth and status were quite popular in noble circles, especially if one was trying to impressive or gain a potential marriage. As such, those pokemon who were bipedal wore dresses or suits or jackets and shawls at the very least. The quadrupeds, on the other hand, wore shawls or capes that wrapped around their shoulders, or vests that hugged their chests. Naturally, various other accessories, styles, and grooming tricks were present as well.

Various types of pokemon flooded in and a Loudred, stood by the doors, announced the guests as they entered. Minor nobles entered by themselves or, if they had children, with the youths in tow. The more prominent or wealthy of the nobility had personal escorts, who entered before them. As more and more pokemon began to fill the parlor, they mingled amongst themselves, greeting and speaking with allies and trusted circles of friends.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, shedding it's bright yellow coloring for more humble shades of red and pink, most of the guests had arrived, and the large room buzzed with dozens of voices. The loudred, who's official title was Royal Herald, made his way to stand next to the large staircase. Ned, the Bisharp Captain of the Guard, strode to meet him, and leaned in to whisper something before moving to stand on the other side of the stairs. Clearing his throat, the Loudred stomped three times, loudly enough to get everyone's attention.

 _THUD THUD THUD_

"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you King Alexander and Queen Maria, Monarchs of Kalos!"

Everyone in attendance, both nobles and staffs, bowed or curtsied as the pair of announced pokemon appeared, arm in arm, at the top of the stairs before making their way down. Both wore their crowns and proper attire, Alexander in a black dress jacket and Maria in deep blue one. Once the pair reached the ground floor, the Loudred spoke again. "Crown Princess Elizabeth and Prince Maxwell!"

The two youths appeared next before making their way down the stairs. Elizabeth, after some help from Nurse, had slipped into a simple but elegant sky-blue strapless dress, coupled with a ribbon around her neck and around the waist. Max wore a similarly simple black dress jacket, as well as a little bowtie. Once complete with their descent, they stood by their parents as the Alexander nodded to the Loudred. Nodding back, the Big Voice pokemon made another announcement.

"My Lords and Ladies, I present King Kael'themar, King of Unova!"

The large oak doors to the parlor opened, and four pokemon strode in single file. Elizabeth and Max assumed that these were the four knights that Kael mentioned the day before. They, like everyone else in attendance, watched in interest as the Zoroark and his knights made their entrance.

First in the line was Letholdus, the large Tyranitar they had met in the market. Several individuals gasped and bean whispering when they saw the large dragon. Which was understandable, as most of the Kaolsian population was made up of normal, psychic, fire and fighting-types, with the occasional fairy and grass type. Something like the dark-rock type dragon was unlike anything they had seen, or even expected. Despite his size, he walked calmly and held a proud look on his face. His large physique and spikes didn't allow him to wear any kind of formal jacket. Rather, he had a long scarf draped over his neck and hanging down his front, red with gold trim. Once he reached the royal family, he bowed before moving to stand off to the side.

The second pokemon was, to Elizabeth, quite surprising. The individual was bipedal, vaguely weasel-like, and colored pale purple and violet with long whiskers and sleeves of fur. Elizabeth found herself intrigued with the pokemon, who she recalled after some thinking as a Mienshao. She was female, if the pink bow around her neck and white shawl around her shoulders was any indication. And she walked with a obvious sway of her hips, as well as obvious curves to her body that any male would find attractive. What Elizabeth found interesting was the way she carried herself. The confidence in her step, tilt of her chin, and sharp look in her eyes screamed confidence. That, coupled with her toned body, gave off the impression of being able to handle herself in a fight as well as any male in attendance. She managed to be both a woman and warrior, a study in contrast that was unlike anything Elizabeth had seen before. She curtsied elegantly before joining Letholdus.

The third Unovan knight was short, blue, and walked with a unmistakable swagger. The pokemon, a Dewott, had a smirk on his face and an air of cockiness, but it seemed that calling him arrogant didn't quite feel right. Perhaps it was just very confident in his abilities. He wore a wine-red dress jacket, lined with golden thread, just long enough to hide his twin scalchops. He seemed to have a flair for theatrics, as he stretched a leg behind him and flourished his hand when he bowed. With a quick flick of his coat, he made his way to stand with the others.

The last knight ahead of the King was a Charmeleon, once again a female judging by the pink bow and pale-green shawl. Unlike the others, this knight seemed much less interested in the proceedings. She made no attempt to hide the boredom on her face, but did follow every rule that etiquette dictated. She curtsied, albeit rather stiffly, and joined her companions. The Dewott leaned closer to say something to the fire-type quietly. Whatever it was, the Charmeleon glared and growled at him, to which he merely snickered.

Following his escort was Kael'themar himself. Elizabeth thought that, perhaps, in a different light and setting, the Zoroark might appear more interesting. Her hopes were quickly dashed at the sight of him. While he was wearing rich clothing, dark blue jacket with red insides and gold thread around the edges, he seemed even more dowdy, especially after the four fascinating knights.

 _How disappointing,_ she thought ruefully.

All those in attendance, save for the royal family, bowed or curtsied to the dark-type. Once he reached the family, standing in front of Alexander and Maria, the King spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "King Kael'themar, I welcome you and your knights to Lumiose and Kalos. You are welcome in our home."

"Thank you your highness." With that, Kael bowed and the family answered in kind. Formalities complete, Maria gestured for Kael to join them as Alexander nodded to the Loudred nearby. Nodding back in confirmation, he turned and announced again.

"Esteemed guests, please follow the staff to the great hall. The feast will begin shortly!" Murmuring began as, with the royal family leading, the numerous guests began to file to their destination.

The great hall was large enough to be it's own building, attached to the castle via the kitchens. It was a large rectangular room, with several long tables filling the length of it but leaving a large empty space in the middle of the floor. At the far end stood a elevated platform with another table perpendicular to the others, where the royal family and distinguished guests sat. Higher nobles sat at the tables close to the family, and the rest of the guests sat throughout the rest of the hall.

As everyone filled in and found the appropriate seats, the feast was brought out and served. As one could expect, no expense was spared in the meal. Bowls of meat slabs and diced potatoes were the heaviest options available. Bowls of salad, mixed with carrots, tomatoes, shreds of cheese and various bottles of dressing stood by for the more health-concerned. Dozens of loaves of bread of various types were always within reach, ranging from fresh baked white bread, to smaller brown rolls and loaves with nuts baked in. A dozen varieties of cheeses stood scattered throughout the tables, some fresh and some aged for years. Pot pies, roasted berries, and fresh fruits made good compliments to any choices. For dessert, pudding pies, candied berries, cakes and tarts, and crystallized fruits were prepared. Pitchers of water, oran juice, lemonade, cherry cordial and punch were chilled and prepared for serving, along with bottles of wine, brandy, and whisky for the adults.

In the middle of admiring the food, Elizabeth noticed that Alexander motioned for Kael to sit with them. As Maria and Alexander always sat together at the middle of the table with Elizabeth next to Maria and Max next to her, she expected Kael to sit next to her father, where distinguished guests often sat. Much to her horror, a new seat was placed between her and her mother for the Zoroark. She had to bite her tongue to stop from blurting out her objection. Much as she didn't want Kael sitting next to her for the whole evening, she knew objecting would make things more awkward. So she decided she would just block him out when she needed.

Everyone began to take their helpings and digging in. A small group of musicians began to play a pleasant tune, and everyone was put into a good mood. The hall buzzed with talking, loud laughs and the clattering of silverware. Naturally, things were more rambunctious among the lesser nobles, but it was still overall pleasant.

The next hour was filled with nothing but enjoying the meal. Elizabeth made the occasional small talk with her brother, but mostly watched and listened to everyone else. She was relieved that Kael was more interested in conversation with her parents than herself. That said, she quickly grew bored after having finished filling her stomach, and leaned her head on her hand as she watched everyone. At points, she had to shake her head to keep herself from falling asleep.

"Bored Princess?"

In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Kael initiated conversation. Even so, she found she had to force herself to not snap at him. "A bit," she responded, trying to maintain the appropriate demeanor. "These things get rather bland after you go to enough."

Kael simply nodded, offering a hum in agreement. "True enough I suppose. Say, would you kindly pass me that bottle if you please?"

Glancing to where he nodded, she saw the bottle in question. Looking over the label, she saw that it was Kalos Red, one of the more strong types of wine, if her memory served. While not a fan herself, she did know that it was a favorite of her mother. "You drink Kael?"

"On occasion," he said with a noticeable smirk, "more so in gatherings like this than in my free time." Taking the bottle offered him, he filled his cup to the brim before taking a long swig. He stopped and looked however, at the voice directed at him.

"Can I have some Kael?" Max, on the other side of Elizabeth, was leaning forward to look past his sister at the black fox with a very excited look on his face.

"Max!" His sister chided him. "Your way to young to be drinking, much less something as strong as that!" Max gave her a annoyed look, very displeased with her reaction. "Don't give me that look! What would mom and dad say? Just stick to your juice and-" She shut up as she noticed Kael reaching past her to offer Max another cup filled with the fortified wine. Max snatched it up while his sister turn to look angrily and the Zoroark.

"What do you think your doing!?" He gritted her teeth and seethed as he smiled softly.

"Come now Princess, this is a feast. A little drinking won't hurt him. He's not a babe after all."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to scold him, but stopped when she heard Max guzzling his drink, and had to reach and grab his cup to stop him choking on his wine. "Arceus sake Max, at least drink it properly!" As she instructed Max to drink slowly and a little at a time, she looked over at Kael. "I hope your happy," she said, although not as harshly as she could have.

Kael simply smiled at her tone. "I'm here with you and your family, aren't I?"

Elizabeth, to busy making sure her brother didn't die by wine, only rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a amused huff. "You're unbearable."

"Is the Zoroark bothering you Princess?"

The three stopped and looked at the newcomer. A Machoke, wearing a pale-blue dress jacket, had approached them and stood on the empty side of the table. Elizabeth recognized him as one of the more influential lords around Lumiose, although his exact title and name escaped her at the moment. He looked quite serious, and something in his expression made the Braixen uneasy.

"Oh, uhhh... no. No we are fine."

"Are you sure? Just say the word and we can have your... guest... removed for you."

Kael, who was watching the new arrival through careful eyes, glanced at Elizabeth. "A friend of yours Elizabeth?" She turned to answer, but the Machoke beat her to it.

"You will address her as _Princess_ , and not with such familiarity _Zoroark_." Instantly, Elizabeth and Max felt very uncomfortable. Something in the tone of the Machoke, and the way he seemed very aggressive towards Kael, just seemed off. Kael was unfazed at the hard stare the fighting-type was giving him, and instead returned it with one of his own.

"Ahh... You are one of them...I see how things are then." Elizabeth turned to look at him curiously.

"Kael?"

"It seems your countryman here has a strong distaste for dark-types."

"What?" That was the first she had heard of anything of the like. A bias against dark-types? It sounded ridiculous, and wrong on a principle level. But, as she thought about the way their muscular companion was staring daggers at Kael, it seemed to explain the un-called for hostility.

Luckily, Maria had taken notice of the situation, and inserted herself into the conversation. "Is there a problem, lord Ricardo?"

The Machoke, apparently named Ricardo, softened his expression when he turned to look at the Delphox. "Pardon, your highness, but I saw that this... _Zoroark_ -" he sneered towards Kael as he said the word, "appeared to be bothering the Princess, and I felt it my patriotic duty to come to her aid."

"Her aid." Maria repeated it in a manner that hinted she didn't exactly buy it. "Right. I'm sure that you did it purely for platonic reasons."

"Of course your highness. Anything for the Princess." He gave Elizabeth the once-over, and added in a smile that she imagined he thought was charming, but came off as creepy.

"How noble of you. However," Maria continued in a very displeased tone, "you seem to have insulted our guest here."

"Ah. Yes. How rude of me." Although he said this, his tone was more mocking than sincere. "And let me guess, the young King's name is... Řezník?"

Everyone's eyes flew open, save for Kael. He simply sat there, giving the same leveled glare that he had been the last few minutes in stoney silence. Maria, on the other hand, was much more responsive."Ricardo! Is there something that you would like to say?"

He spread his arms and shrugged. "I don't know what you mean your majesty."

"I think you do. You know quite well what calling him that name implies."

"Is It wrong for me to assume what we all know to be the truth?"

Max, who had been listening in closely, spoke up. "What do you mean the 'truth'?

Ricardo glanced at the smaller fighting-type. "My Prince, I feel it my duty to warn you of what this... guest of yours is. His sires were tyrants, rapists and murders. They spread death, war and genocide to the whole world. He has their blood in his veins, so it's only a matter of time before he follows in their footsteps. Best you get rid of him now."

Max, whose eyes went wide at the statement, tilted his head slightly. "B-but Kael is nice! He wouldn't do any of that. Even if his ancestors did, what's that got to do with him."

Ricardo shook his head, letting pity show both there and in his voice. "Young lord, you don't know dark-types. You must learn: They are all the same. Tricksters, deceivers, and traitors. My family lost many good pokemon fighting his kind over the years. So I think I'm qualified to say I know his kind more than anyone in this room."

"So what?" Elizabeth spoke up, "Are you saying we should just throw him into the streets and let him make his way back home?"

"Well if I had my way," Ricado said with a air of a teacher explaining to a child, "then I'd give him a length of rope and a sturdy tree branch."

 _SLAM!_

Everybody nearby jumped a Maria jumped to her feet and slammed her hands onto the table. "RICARDO! I will not tolerate such disrespect to a honored guest!" Although he didn't need to jump in, as Maria was more than capable of handling herself, Alexander was watching with a stern stare.

Ricardo put his hands on his hips in defiance. "Honored guest? HA! This boy walks into our kingdom, into our capital, and he gets the red carpet rolled out for him!? Have you forgotten that it was his kind that we went to war with only a few decades back?"

"The actions of a small group pokemon does not mean that all of them are like that. And you have no room to speak! Your ancestors fought, you didn't! You have never been in a real fight, much less a war!"

Ricardo frowned heavily, but did not back down. "And why are we giving him such a welcome anyway? Unova hasn't been allies with any major kingdom for years now! Why should we care that their royalty just shows up at our door? Oh! I know! Because you used to be close with that succubus of a mother of his!"

"Don't you _DARE_ speak of her like that," Maria hissed, the air around her quickly growing hot.

"And how is he the King anyway? The King is the oldest male in the bloodline unless someone dies or advocates the crown. So do tell, how is he a King at only 20? Oh let me guess, he murdered his parents to gain the throne! I wouldn't put it past him. And he probably has his sister chained to his bed and is now looking to do the same to our Princess!" The argument had gotten very loud, and a good number of pokemon were watching. Some, at the last statement of Ricardo, began to murmur. Some in concern, and some in agreement.

 _"Enough."_

To everyone's surprise, it was Kael that spoke up. He had been silent throughout the argument, simply sitting with slitted eyes and his claws steepled together. His oddly colored eyes were not cold and hard, not unlike steel. He lowered his head and stared at the table top. "My pardon, your highness. I did not intend to cause such a fuss with my presence. I will make myself scarce."

Maria, who had moments ago looked ready to burn the Machoke to a crisp, now looked worried. "Kael... you don't-"

"Yes, I do. I don't wish to cause anyone trouble. Besides," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I'm used to it." Rising from his seat, he bowed to the two monarch at his side, then mirrored the action to Elizabeth and Max. "I thank you for your hospitality, your highnesses, but I fear I must bid you goodnight." Before turning to leave, he look directly at Ricardo, who stood with crossed arms and cocky smile. "My apologies sir. Goodnight."

As he began his walk to the door nearby that lead to the kitchens, Elizabeth noticed movement out of the corner of her eyes. The table that had been specially set up for Kael's knights had one empty spot. While the other three watched their lord in concern, the Mienshao had gotten up and made her way to meet Kael as he reached the door, and the two made their exit together.

Ricardo, apparently satisfied with results, bowed lightly, offered a cocky 'your majesties' and made his way back to his table. Elizabeth noticed that several other pokemon, most of the fighting-types, were looking quite chipper about the situation, and patted Ricardo on the back upon his return. The rest of the crowd sat in stunned silence, and it was only by Alexander's insistence to return to the feast that things returned to some semblance of normalcy.

Maria, who stood staring at Kael's empty seat, turned to whisper something to her mate. After Alexander nodded, she strode off to the exit herself. Alexander made no move to follow her, but did seem far less jolly and spirited than a few minutes earlier.

Elizabeth was simply shocked at what had transpired. That was the first time she had been exposed to such blatant hate. The things that Ricardo had the gall to say made he stomach churn unpleasantly. Max was not faring much better. In fact, he seemed worse, if only because he liked Kael more than his sister, and was hurt to see the black fox receive such treatment and be forced to leave.

The rest of the feast was unpleasant. Max, who had been very spirited and happy until that point, was very subdued. He wore a frown, was much quieter than normal, and didn't even eat the desert laid out for him, something unheard of to Elizabeth in all her life. Max was usually the first to ask for desert, and more often than not had several helping when he could convince his parents to let him do so. He was worse than Elizabeth in that regard, but not by much.

Elizabeth, herself, was uncomfortable with the whole affair. True, Kael'themar was not her favorite pokemon in the world, that much she could admit. Be that as it may, she certianly would never have treated him so poorly. The pure aggression and bias against him was painful to watch. What she found so odd was his behavior, just sitting there and taking it. He made no attempt to argue or even respond in any way.

Her mother was also a point of concern. Very rarely did Maria ever raise her voice, and when it did happen it was usually either scolding her or her brother. She had never seen her mother so upset over the treatment of someone else, much less someone not related to her. And the way she left had unsettled the fire-type, as that was completely new behavior for the Delphox as she knew her.

As she poked at the food, to stressed and bothered to even eat her own deserts, she ran something through her mind. Ricardo had mentioned that Maria had been close to Kael's mother. Curious, as no mention of Kael's mother had ever been brought up. Thinking, she didn't even know anything about Kael's family. All she knew was his ancestry, but that was of little concern to her. Something else that was said popped into her mind.

Ricardo was correct. A Prince didn't become King until he was willingly given the crown and throne by the current monarch as they retired. That, or he was the oldest living blood relative and was at least 18. The more she thought, the more interested she became. Just how had Kael gotten to be King of Unova? He was only 20, unusually young to just be given the crown by his parents.

The rest of the night Elizabeth spent going over all this in her head. She barely paid attention to the going ons of the other feast goers. Her bad mood did little to help, and by the time she laid down to sleep, she had a headache.

As she closed her eye to try and rest, a small thought of some comfort came to her attention. A silver lining really.

Perhaps this Zoroark wasn't so boring after all.


	4. Snooping and Partners

**Finally finished this. Apologies, but I was working through some... writer's block? I guess that'd be what it was called. Besides that, a few things IRL have kept me busy, but I'm glad to finally finish this. I'll have to get into rhythm with writing and uploading and all that jazz.**

 **At least some of time spent was on something productive. I.E. a one-shot I'm working on on the side. Helps to change pace between the two to help get rid of the wall I hit. :)**

 **Think that should be it. Enjoy!**

* * *

The morning was a somber one.

Both Max and Elizabeth had awoken well rested but not quite happy. The evenings events were still fresh, and it bothered both of them. Even as both bathed and readied themselves they couldn't make peace with what had happened.

Max was concerned for Kael. In the short time Max had known him, Kael had grown quickly on the blue pup. Max thought of him as a older brother figure, not that he'd ever tell anyone that. Having his newest friend be the target of such hate as lasts night made Max worry for his well being.

Elizabeth was concerned as well, albeit for slightly different reasons. While she wouldn't go so far as to say they were quite friends, she could tolerate him in her company. With the revelations of the feast, she found herself very curious about the Zoroark. Perhaps it was simply her lack of knowledge and context about him, but Kael suddenly seemed much more interesting. She had spent some time coming up with questions to ask the Zoroark. Well, not so much ask as wonder about, since she doubted asking such blunt questions to his face would yield beneficial results.

The two met just outside the sitting room to take breakfast. Neither knew what to expect with Kael. After last night, it was anyone's guess as to how he would react. They were nervous, both about seeing Kael and making sure they didn't say something that made things worse.

Opening the door, they were surprised to see only their parents. Kael was nowhere to be found. Confused looks were glued to their faces as they walked to their seats. Max constantly looked around the room, as if expecting to find Kael hiding somewhere. Alexander, looking up from the papers he had on his lap, smiled somewhat stressed. "Morning kids."

Returning the greeting, the siblings took their seats. Maria, with book in hand, nodded to her children before returning to her reading. The silence that followed was awkward, at least to Elizabeth, as she felt everyone was thinking on the argument but no one knew how to bring it up. She tried, unsuccessfully, to sit still and relax until breakfast was brought in, twisting and fidgeting as more and more questions plagued her mind. She tried repeatedly to figure out how to voice her questions without seeming too nosey into Kael's private affairs, but no solution presented itself. Thankfully for her, Max was the one who eventually spoke up.

"Soooo... Where's Kael?'

Alexander couldn't help but sigh. "Not even five minutes," he murmured under his breath before looking up to face the pair. "Kael won't be joining us for breakfast. After last night's... incident... he hasn't come out of his room. I'm sure he just needs time to cool off after what happened."

Max couldn't help but frown and look down at the news. "Oh," he murmured. He was rather disappointed. He was looking forward to more training with Kael, as he rarely ever got to interact with anyone else in training. Without the Zoroark to work with, he was stuck back with training dummies.

"Don't worry Max," his father said as he noticed the Riolu's crestfallen expression. "Kael will help you train when he's ready. He really enjoyed working with you."

Max's ears perked up, "Really?"

Alexander nodded, "that's right. He spoke quite highly of you, said you were a natural fighter. Good listener, followed advice, and overall felt like a younger brother more than a training pupil."

Max said nothing, but instead shifted slightly as he look down and giggled in embarrassment. The idea that Kael had spoken so highly of him after one session made him feel proud and warm inside. Now he definitely wanted to see Kael again!

The door creaked open again, this time to reveal Cecilia pushing in a familiar trolley. The Slufpuff looked exhausted, which was understandable. Having overseen the preparations for the feast all day yesterday, the fairy-type must have been pushed hard to make ends meet, both in quantity and quality. Knowing this, nobody said much to her as she laid out the morning meal. She tried to be her usual cheery self, but was noticeably subdued. Besides a greetings and a few small jokes, she didn't say much as she did her work and left.

Even eating felt different today. Rather than the cheery demeanor usual for the family's meals, it was silent today, save for the sounds of chewing and forks on plates. The change of routine just added to Elizabeth's discomfort. She ate, the urge to strike up conversation continued bubbled up inside her, but she could never find how to turn these urges into words. So in silence she sat, trying to simply get through the meal so she could busy herself and block out the various questions swirling in her head.

After some time, every had finished breakfast. Stacking the plates on the table to be taken and cleaned, Elizabeth and Max began to get up before Maria stopped them. "Max, Elizabeth, would one of you grab one of the staff before you go? While Kael hasn't left his room, that's no reason for him to starve." Following her mother's nod to the side, the Braixen found a plate with a cover on top, keeping the contents warm. Max nodded and began to walk towards the door, headed for the kitchen, when an idea stuck Liz.

"I'll do it."

Her family looked at her with mild surprise. They hadn't expected her to volunteer herself for such a mundane task, much less one for their current guest considering their... current relationship. Alexander opened his mouth to say something, probably to question her, although that was her only idea of what he could possibly say. Before he could utter even a single syllable, Maria reached over to place her hand atop his. He looked over at his mate in confusion, and Maria only maintained her look. No doubt using her telepathy, Alexander nodded after a moment and look back at his daughter.

"Alright. Bring him his breakfast and then return to your business. Don't pester or bother him if he's not up to it." He reached over to hand her the tray, "he's staying in the large guest room on the third floor."

Liz knitted her brow in confusion. Not at the floor, as the third floor was where her family and other important nobles stayed, but at the particular room. It was unofficially called the deluxe room among the castle staff, as it had a workroom attached to a regular bedroom. No one had used it to her knowledge, and her parents usually gave staying guests a normal guest room, which were in no short supply. So, she reasoned, the only reason he got the workroom was because he had specifically requested it.

Interesting.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, she excused herself and made for Kael's room. Greeting the occasional staff member in the halls, she was equal parts excited and apprehensive. The idea of seeing Kael, face to face again, was slightly unnerving considering what had happened last time she was alone with him. Yet the possibility of learning more about him, perhaps something about his personal life or the reason for Ricardo's attitude was more than enough to push her onward.

Reaching her destination, she reached out and knocked on the door a few times. Silence greeted her. Frowning, she knocked thrice again, this time deciding to speak. "Kael? It's Liz. I brought your breakfast." Once again, no response came from behind the door. Frowning, she placed her ear up to the door to see if she could hear him working or sleeping. Much to her surprise, the door gave way slightly as she leaned on it.

It had been left unlocked and slightly ajar.

Normally, she would have left the food there or come back later. But this was so odd that she pushed the door open slightly and slid inside. She rationalized her action by saying that perhaps she could leave his meal inside, or that Kael was in trouble and that was the reason for the unlocked door.

Deep down she knew those were simple lies she told herself to justify what she was doing. In reality, she saw this as a great opportunity to snoop. The idea of going through Kael's personal belongings, of finding something secretly tucked away that would tell her more about him sent shivers of excitement down her spine. And of course, there was no malicious intent, just harmless curiosity. She'd be in, look around, and be out before anyone could notice.

That's what she told herself at least.

Slipping inside and shutting the door behind her, she looked around as she leaned on the door. Her hearing had been accurate: not a soul was inside the room with her. The bed, similar to her own except for the plain white color, was neatly made, and looked as if it hadn't even been used. The rest of the room was perfectly in place, no sign of any tampering or use by anyone. It looked uninhabited.

Elizabeth found that strange. Even the simplest of actions in living left some kind of trail or sign. Leaving the curtains left down, a snack plate left on the night stand, even some kind of clothing tossed somewhere. She couldn't even smell anyone's scent in the room either. It was just the stale smell of a unused room.

Her curiosity even more worked up, she placed the plate down on the nightstand by the bed, and moved to the door across from the foot of the bed. While it still had a bathroom and closet, this room had a third door leading to the connected workroom. Placing her ear against the door once again, she listened for any hint of movement. After a few moments of listening and hearing nothing, she pushed open the door, flinching as it gave a low creak.

The workroom was not what she had expected. It normally was a simple large room with a few tables and counters. The normally empty counters were now lined with instruments. They were mostly glass vials and containers, ranging in size from a small vial to large beakers. A assortment of plants, herbs, and berries sat next to a small bowl and thick wooden stick. Most of the glasses had some colored liquid inside them, and the largest had a small fire smoldering under it, held aloft by a small stand.

Elizabeth was puzzled at the odd scene. The purpose of such a set up was lost on her, as she had never seen anything even remotely similar. She walked closer, observing the odd set up and hoping to figure out it's purpose.

Coming up to the counter, she noticed a tomb left open. It was very old, if the tattered covering and frayed pages were any indication. Flipping it open and turning to a random page, she read over it's contents. A lot of it was faded, and what little she could read was obviously in a different language that she didn't know. After flipping through a few more pages only to be met with more arcane writing, she eventually gave up on the book and closed it.

Looking around again, something new caught her eye. A small rack of vials stood towards the back of the counter, holding five small vials. What had caught her eye was the one on the end, which was glowing a greenish-blue. Mystified, she reached out to pluck it from it's hold. It was small, no more than two or three inches tall, and thin. It couldn't have held more than a mouthful of liquid if filled to the top. The softly glowing liquid inside came up two-thirds the way to the top, which was capped with a cork.

Elizabeth swirled the vial lightly, watching the contents swish around. She had absolutely no idea as to why the liquid would be glowing, nor what it was meant to do. But it was certainly pretty to look out. A temptation sprung into her head, and she eventually gave in, removing the cork from the vial. The smell that followed was incredibly sweet, slightly reminiscent of berries. Her curiosity and the pleasant scent pushed her to try the concoction. Just a little sip to see...

"Enjoying your snooping?"

The Braixen's heart stopped for a moment at the familiar voice, and she quickly whirled around to face it. Standing in the doorway was Kael, a satchel around one shoulder and very unamused look on his face. Liz's mind was a blur as she ran through different excuses for her being in the Zoroark's room uninvited. Unfortunately for her, she had dropped the vial in her surprise, and the resounding sound of breaking glass beat her to any word she might produce.

She looked behind her, noticing the broken glass and dulling blue liquid seep into the floor. Biting her lip, she looked back at Kael, who stared blankley at the broken vial and it's spilled contents. "Uhh... Opps?" Was all she could offer.

Kael didn't make any change in expression, only standing as still as a statue and continuing his stare. Elizabeth could only look at the floor, ashamed at getting caught, as she tried to form coherent words, "Umm... W-was... Was that important?"

The dark-type shifted his gaze to look her in the eye. She noticed that his left eye, the emerald green one, was actually darker than she remembered it, looking much sinister and intense than last she saw it. "It took me six months to make that. Six months of hard work that you just wasted."

The Braixen felt her stomach twist up uncomfortably. The idea that she ruined something he had spent six months working sent a huge pang of guilt through her. Her ears drooped as she looked at her feet, unable to maintain the accusatory glare he was focusing on her. She tried to say something along the lines of 'I'm sorry', but it came out a little more than unintelligible muttering.

Kael walk closer to her, causing her to flinch instinctually. Setting his satchel on the counter next to her other herbs and plants, before turning to look at her. She could feel his piercing gaze on her as she continued to look at her feet, only looking up when she heard him sigh heavily. Looking up, she saw him rub the left side of his face before running his hand through the rest of his head and mane. Her turned to look at her, the heavy and accusing air of the room gone.

His eye had returned to it's original emerald green, and it was much easier for her to meet his eyes. Standing much closer, she noticed that he looked tired. No, scratch that, he looked _exhausted._ His eyes were half lidded, and slightly bloodshot. He leaned on the counter, supporting himself with his arms rather than simply stand. "I apologize Princess," he began, "It has been a... very long night." He paused a moment, seemingly observing her for a reaction before continuing. "What can I help you with Princess?"

Liz's mouth opened and closed repeatedly without sound, taken aback by his sudden mood shift. She had expected a scolding, for him to yell and scream and to alert her parents to what she had done. Instead, here he was, offering her _his_ apologies and offering his help with whatever she needed. Staring at him as he awaited her answer, she shook her head before responding. "I... I came to... to... umm..." She mentally cursed herself at her inability to get her thoughts together.

Kael only arched an eyebrow as she stuttered in place before turning to his satchel and unloading the contents. "Let me guess," he bean as he add various plants into piles on the counter, "come here to do some personal investigating? Learn some juicy gossip about the stranger in your home? Or did you wish to do some more practice for your right hook?"

Perhaps it was what he said, or perhaps it was the off-handed way he said it, but whatever the reason Elizabeth felt her face flush. Partly because he was right on the investigation bit, and partly at the mention of her socking him in the face a few days prior. She realized she never had apologized for it, and that, despite his tone, it was entirely possible that he expected her to do it again. She eventually found her words as Kael continued his work. "I... Actually I came to bring you breakfast."

Kael stopped in place for a moment before muttering under his breath, "another sleepless night then." He turned to look at her again, "And your parents made you deliver the meal?"

"Actually I... volunteered for it."

Kael tilted his head at the statement. "Why would you volunteer to bring me breakfast? You could have just had a staff member do it."

 _Because I want to learn more about you_ the Braixen thought to herself. _Because I wanted to know about you as a pokemon and because you're so different from anyone I've ever met._ Unfortunately, due to her lack of grace with words, what came out was, "Because I wanted to study you."

She mentally kicked herself for how bad that sounded. She bite her lip again at the slip, almost drawing blood. Kael, to his credit, maintained his composure as always. However, that didn't stop a slight droop to his shoulders and a flicker of emotion in his eyes. She couldn't read his mind or emotions, him being a dark-type, and she wasn't experienced enough to tell what the flicker had been. Had it been anger? Offense? Discomfort?

Disappointment?

She had no more time to dwell on it as Kael uttered a dry "Ah." He turned back to his work, now adjusting, checking, and writing down things as he went over his herbs and vials and beakers. Elizabeth stood there, not knowing how to regain the conversation she had ruined. She could have simply excused herself, but that would leave so many questions about what she was seeing, and that would drive her crazy for the rest of the week.

"Soooo..." She started smoothly, "What's all this?"

"This," Kael responded, not stopping in his tasks, "is my lab."

"What kind of lab is it? Like, what's it do?"

"This is my Apothecary and Alchemy lab."

"I'm... not too familiar with those terms."

"Not surprising. They are not very common practices anymore."

Elizabeth put her arms behind her back and kicked at the ground. "Could you... maybe... tell me more about them?"

Kael paused once again, this time looking over at her. She gave him the best smile she could, although she was sure it wasn't as nice as she had hoped. But Kael softly smiled back, and nodded. "Alright. Come here." Walking close to his side, she watched over his shoulder as he worked.

"An Apothecary," Kael began his lecture, "is simply someone who studies and uses plants and herbs for medicinal purposes. I know I know, not quite as popular or efficient as getting a Audino or Chansey to heal you, but you don't need to be a specific type or have a specific move to mix plants and herbs. Plus, it can create useful concoctions that do more than just heal."

"And Alchemy?"

Kael grimaced slightly. "Alchemy is a bit more... complicated than simple herbal medicine. But, to grossly simplify and cut out the philosophical bits, its using rare materials and complex processes to create unique and powerful items and elixirs. There are some things in alchemy that are only theories, but most of it is just really complicated and tedious."

Elizabeth thought for a moment before looking off to the side. "Was that vial I ruined hard to make?"

Kael nodded softly. "If I'm being honest, yes. The reason it took me six months to make it is that the ingredients are rare, and require a lot of processing." Kael tried to laugh, though it came out tired and forced. "I'll just have to start again huh?"

"Yeah... What was it supposed to do? The vial I mean."

"It was a vitality elixir. It was a mix of rare healing herbs and roots along with concentrated Iron, Calcium, Carbos and other vitamins. It was meant to improve vital functions, energy, mental ability and overall health. Not incredibly amazing, but certainly useful."

"Can you make other stuff too? Like healing potions or things like that?" Elizabeth asked eagerly.

Much to her disappointment, the Zoroark shook his head. "You've been reading too many stories Elizabeth. As great and practical as that would be, an instant-healing potion is impossible. I can make some impressive and amazing things, but they are still based on the world's physical limits. The best I could do is a make a potion that would drastically increase your metabolism. You'd heal faster, but you'd need to eat and sleep a lot more to provide the necessary nutrients and rest." He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, that's not entirely true. The theory for a true instant-healing potion exists, but a strong enough main ingredient hasn't been found yet to create it."

"Ah." Was all Elizabeth could find to say. As the dark-type next to her continued his work, Liz was silent as she digested the statement. It certainly sounded like a bold claim, and she was sure some pokemon would dismiss it as ridiculous and unfounded. A week ago, she would have thought the same. But, looking at the Zoroark out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but believe him. After all, she had seen some very odd things ever since Kael had arrived. Why couldn't something like this be just as believable?

She observed him the next fifteen minutes as he worked. Grinding various ingredients together in the small bowl with the stick, which he told her was called a mortar and pestle, until they became powder. Then adding more ingredients into it and repeating until they formed more powders or pastes. Putting the results into wrappings or tubes, he created a number of mixtures and concoctions before he put down the tools and turned to his fire-type audience.

"Well I think that's enough for now. Shall I walk you out?"

Elizabeth was actually surprised to find herself a little disappointed that her little demonstration was over, but nodded none the less. Kael lifted his arm slightly to invite her to lead, and the pair made their way to the door. As Elizabeth stepped out, a final thought occurred to him. "Oh, Max was asking after you. He was pretty upset that you wouldn't be training with him."

Kael chuckled quietly. "Your brothers a sweet kid. Tell him not to worry. I'll be there. In fact, you'll find I've asked you four to meet me in the courtyard after lunch."

Elizabeth tilted her head in confusion. "Four of us?"

A nod. "That's right. You, Max, Sam, and Audrey. I'll meet you all in the courtyard after lunch. Your parents will run it by you." Nodding her understanding, the Braixen turned and began to walk off, back to her own room to busy herself until lunch. She stopped at the sound of Kael's voice.

"Elizabeth!"

Turning to look, she saw him give a warm smile at her. "Thank you."

She wasn't entirely sure why he was thanking her. Yes, she brought his morning meal, but it was probably cold by now, and lunch wasn't long off anyway. And the way he said it, so genuine and warm. It didn't feel like a normal thanks. But she enjoyed it all the same, and smiled back offering her own words. "Your welcome."

* * *

True to his word, Alexander and Maria had, at lunch, informed them that Kael had requested their presence, as well as that of Sam and Audrey, in the training yard. Although, they wouldn't say as to why. So the siblings wolfed down their meals, went in search of their friends, and grouped back together before making their way outside.

Kael stood in the middle of the small sparring arena, quite easy to see thanks to his dark coat of fur. But he wasn't alone. Four figures were nearby, all seemingly listening to what the dark-type had to say. The Mienshao stood next to him with hands interlocked, and Letholdus a few paces away with arms behind his back. The Dewott was sitting with his back against a wooden crate, legs crossed, arms behind his head and smiling as his companions talked. The Charmeleon sat on top of the same crate, arms crossed and a dull expression on her face. As Elizabeth's group walked closer, the Charmeleon saw them approach and said something. Everyone turned to see them come close enough to talk.

"Ah. I'm glad you all could make it." Kael said, folding his hands in front of him as he addressed the Kalosians when they came close enough. "I'm sure you're all curious as to why I've asked you here." They nodded. "Well, after talking it over with the King and Queen, we've agreed that it would be in everyone's best interest if me and mine helped out around here. To that end, we've decided to assign each of my knights to one of you to help both with your responsibilities and personal growth."

Elizabeth's group looked at him with surprise. That was not what they were thinking at all. Maybe asking for their help or an announcement, but not this.

"So," Kael clapped his hands together, "I'll get to the introductions and assignments and everyone can go about their day. Max!" Max looked up at his name, "you'll have Selina assigned to you." At that statement, the Mienshao stepped forward to identify herself, eyeing Max carefully. "She's one of my personal guards and advisors, as well as one of the best fighters in all of Unova. She'll be much better at helping you find a style more to your liking in training."

Max looked up at the Martial Arts pokemon, quickly noting how he only came up to her mid-rift. She looked down on him, although he got the feeling it was more out of necessity to meet his eyes rather than to be condescending. She didn't smile nor frown, but simply took Max in with a measured look, as if studying and evaluating him. Max couldn't tell what she was feeling, whether good or bad. After a few moments studying each other, the Mienshao more so that the Riolu, she bowed to him, palms pressed together and held in front of her chest.

"The honor is mine Prince Maxwell." Her actions certainly surprised Max, as bowing was strictly a male action to his knowledge. He looked over to Kael in slight confusion, hoping for some explanation on how to react. Kael simply raised his eyebrows and nodded sideways towards her. After a moments confusion, the Riolu caught on and returned the bow, minus the hands, and spoke back.

"It's nice to meet you Selina. I hope we can get along." Rising back to her full height, Selina nodded at him in response before looking to Kael.

Kael nodded in satisfaction before continuing. "Sam." The Kirlia stepped forward with head tilted slightly in curiosity. "To help with your own training, as well as your confidence, you'll be working with Luìs." At the word, the Dewott rose to his feet and strode over to stand in front of Sam."

The Dewott, while lacking the fancy clothing from the night before, still emitted an aura of confidence and charm. Around his neck he wore a simple blue and green striped scarf. He stood with hands on hips, cocky smirk on his face without seeming arrogant or judgmental. In fact, he seemed quite likeable and friendly just looking at him. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Sam." He performed a fanciful bow as he spoke, " _Me Llamo Luìs_ _Caminante mar."_ The words rolled off his tongue very smoothly and with a slight accent, and everyone couldn't help but want to hear him speak more in whatever language he had just used.

Sam bowed back much quicker than Max did, although he seemed just as nervous. "I'm Samwell. I look forward to working together Mr. Cam..Camee-na..."

"Please," the Dewott interrupted with a friendly smile, "just Luìs." Sam just nodded hesitantly before looking back to Kael.

"Audrey."

"Yeppers?"

"You'll be with Letholdus."

The Tyranitar smiled at the Buneary and bowed. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you Milady."

"Awww." She waved her paw at him. "Stop it you flatterer. It'll be _my_ pleasure." She giggled happily before allowing Kael to continue.

"And that leaves you Elizabeth." The Zoroark met the Braixen's stare as he spoke. "Which means you'll have the company of Juno for the next few days."

The last member of Kael's knights looked up at the taller fire-type. She didn't smile, nor attempt any kind of friendly greeting. She had a attitude that was a mix of distant coldness and disinterest. She didn't bother to move from atop her box, remaining sitting and with arms crossed. The very un-approachable demeanor of the lizard put off Elizabeth, unused to such an attitude. Putting her hand up, she gave a short wave and tired to be friendly. "Umm... Hi..."

Juno only nodded with a short grunt and bored look in her eyes. Elizabeth suddenly found herself unsure of her newly acquired companion. Before she could say anything about it, Kael beat her to speaking. "Alright. That's everyone. They will be shadowing you all for a few days, training or working with you throughout the day. In a week or so, they'll rotate so everyone gets to know everyone."

"But Kael," came Max's objection, "what are you going to be doing?"

The dark fox smiled awkwardly. "Oh I'll be around Max. Don't you worry." He sighed heavily, "Unfortunately most of my time will be spent working with your parents. Much as I wish it were otherwise, I won't be around as much as I'd like. Which is partly why you've been partnered. Your parents and I agree that it's in your best interest." Max nodded, less in agreement and more because he didn't know what else to do. "Alright. I must be off. I trust you all to behave," he shot a look at Luìs and Juno, "and I'll see you all at dinner. "

Making his way back to the castle, the eight pokemon were left to their own devices. They glanced between themselves, the air thick with feelings of awkwardness. It was Audrey who broke the silence between them. "Welp, I've gotta get back to the kitchens. Cecilia needs my help." She turned to look at the towering Tyranitar, "shall we Letholdus?"

He nodded, "let's." Turning to the rest, be bowed before fixing the Dewott and Charmeleon with a stern gaze. "You two stay out of trouble, understand?"

"Of course my friend!" Luìs said as if it were obvious. "How could we do anything else? C'mon, you know us."

"I do know you. And that's why I'm reminding you to not get into trouble." He looked at Elizabeth and Sam. "Watch them. Make sure they don't burn down the castle." With one last look, he turned and lumbered after the much shorter Buneary as the two made for the kitchens, leaving six pokemon behind.

"I must be off as well," Sam spoke up. "There are some chores that I have to attend to before the evening." He looked to his new Dewott companion, "You're welcome to join me if it suits you Louìs."

The water-type nodded vehmently, never losing his charming smile. "I'd be glad to accompany you Sam. The more the merrier! Let's get to it!" He began to walk towards the castle.

"Um... Do you know where you're going!?" Louìs just waved back without turning around as he continued his walk. Sam groaned and looked at Elizabeth and Max. He bowed saying, "pardon us. I'll see you both at dinner." He then sprinted off to catch up to his new otter friend, who had not stopped or slowed for the Kirlia he was supposed to be with.

Max looked up at Selina once Sam had disappeared into the kitchens. "Well I've got nothing to do, so I was gonna train. Would you like to help me?" He smiled up at the Mienshao, trying to add to his charm, although he was excited enough to smile naturally. He did want to make a good first impression on her, even more so with Kael's praise about her fighting ability.

Selina nodded, saying, "I will aid you Maxwell."

Turning to his sister the small blue pup smiled. "Welp, I'll be out here training. You wanna join in?"

Elizabeth frowned at him. "No thanks. You know physical training really isn't my thing Max."

"Awww. But it's fun and good for you and you need it! Just look at you! You're so skinny! Your arms are like twigs! It'd help you to put on some muscle."

"Hmph! My figure is fine thank you very much! I'll be going back to my room to relax." She took a few steps before turning to look over her shoulder. "...Juno, right? Are you coming?"

The Charmeleon in question stared at her for a second before nodding. "Alright," she spoke for the first time, "let's go." As the two fire-types walked away, Juno looked over her shoulder at Selina and Max. "Have fun Sel! And try not to whip him to hard or fast his time! He's yours for a week, so make him last!" Elizabeth gave her a odd look, confused at what she had said. "Don't worry," she soothed the Braixen, "he's not in any real danger. Selina can just get really into training."

"Uh-huh."

The two walked through hallway after hallway without saying a word. The silence between them was annoying to Elizabeth. Mostly because this Charmeleon was a complete stranger to her, yet was going to be following her around for the next few days at least. That didn't sit right with her, so she attempted to start a conversation and learn a little bit about Juno. Make her at least an acquaintance, and not just some random pokemon.

"Soo... What's Unova like?" ' _Ugh, what a stupid way to break the ice'_ she thought to herself.

Luckily for her, Juno didn't mind the point blank question. "It's ok I guess. Way to cold in the autumn and winter for my tastes. Too much ice and snow and cold. Specially up north. It's much nicer here in Kalos so far."

"Where in Unova were you born?"

"Wasn't born in Unova. I Was born in Johto, in a little town called New Bark. Nice enough place for the few years I was there."

Elizabeth looked at her companion in surprise. "Johto?" She asked, receiving a nod in return. "How'd you end up working for Kael'themar then if you were born in Johto?

Juno snorted in amusement. "your nationality doesn't determine your allegiance Princess. And I apologize, but I can't say how I ran into Kael."

Liz tilted her head in confusion. "Why not?"

Juno's expression became serious. "It's not my place to tell. Telling you how and when and where and why I met him involves both me and him." She sighed before continuing. "Look Princess, Kael is really protective of his personal life. He doesn't like people digging into his past, and for good reason. If he wanted you to know something, you'd know it. We all swore ourselves to him, and are not about to betray his trust even to royalty. So just keep that in mind when around us, yeah?"

Put off a little by the explanation, Elizabeth only nodded. "A-alright."

The rest of the walk was once again silent, but for a different reason. Elizabeth's head was full of thoughts, most of them about what Juno had said. She seemed very serious about saying anything about Kael. So it certainly seemed like they were keeping something under wraps. And she had said 'with good reason'. What would be a good enough reason to keep one's past buried? Perhaps he had done something he regretted, and wanted to forget. Maybe he wanted people to think of him based on the now, and not what he had done in the past.

 _'Or maybe',_ she thought to herself, _'it's because there's something he wants to forget.'_

* * *

"So it's all been sorted out?" Alexander asked from his chair behind his desk.

"Yes. My knights are with them all. They'll start soon as they see a opportunity presents itself."

Kael was inside Alexander's personal study, sitting across from the Lucario at his desk, with Maria sitting in a chair next to her mate. The three had a bottle of wine and three glasses between them, drinking at a leisurely pace.

"And what of the elixirs and powders? Are they ready?" Alexander asked the younger fox across from him.

"For the most part. A majority of the common ones are ready to be sold. As are a few of the more expensive ones. I need some more time to complete one or two of the complex ones, but we should be able to proceed with the plan."

Maria spoke up. "How much do you think you'll be able to bring in?"

Kael looked up a moment in thought. "Hmm. If I can get the usual prices, them probably around two hundred thousand. Maybe more if I can haggle them up."

Alexander nodded. "Good, that'll be a huge help." He placed down his glass in exchange for a map of the Kalos region. "I've already spoken to the general, as well as some other higher ups in the military. They are stockpiling the supplies and equipment as they can without harming their own operations." He handed the map over to Kael, who began to look it over. "I've also spoken to a few old companions and knights. They are willing to volunteer to aid us, both in training and in bodies. Besides that, we've increased taxes slightly. Not enough to make a huge contribution, but enough to give us some work room."

"I've been speaking around as well," Maria added. "Several old contacts and friends still owe me favors. They are all are able to deliver, seeing as how most are guild leaders or business owners." She produced a slip of paper which she proceeded to unfold and look over. "A few were able to provide raw resources. Iron, copper, lumber, that sort of thing. A couple in the food industry have planted more than they usually do, so that they can provide extra rations come harvest time. And everyone threw in some gold." She paused to look over the numbers on her paper. "All in all, they have contributed over five hundred thousand gold crowns. It's a huge contribution."

Kael nodded, "it's quite impressive how fast you both work." He sipped his wine, letting the flavor linger on his tongue for a moment before continuing. "At this rate, between all our efforts, we should be able to take action come winter. Maybe a bit longer than anyone would like, but I'm grateful for whatever help I can get."

"And we are happy to give it," said Maria as she looked seriously at the Zoroark. "This needs to be nipped in the bud. We have always trusted you family Kael. They had our back when we needed it. It's only proper we return the favor. Families like ours have to stick together."

Kael nodded with an appreciative smile. "Thank you." The three chatted amongst themselves for a while longer before Kael drained his glass in a large swig. "If that's everything for the night, I think I'll turn in for the night." Nodding to the two sitting, and them nodding back, he turned and walked to the door.

"Kael."

He turned at his name to look at Maria, the one who had spoken up. "Yes?"

The Delphox looked into her glass as she swirled it around a bit before speaking. "I know all of this is hard. What you've been through and what's going on now. It's not fair for you to have to endure all that at you age." She looked up into his eyes, emotion thick in both her eyes and voice. "But you're a good pokemon Kael, and she'd be proud of you."

Kael visibly stiffened at the statement, turning to look at the ground awkwardly. He was silent for a moment, his expression hidden by the shadows cast by the candles in the study. Eventually, he spoke up. "I appreciate it, and I'm glad you think so."

Maria and Alexander nodded, with Maria speaking up again. "Things will turn out alright in the end. You'll see."

Kael nodded and bid them goodnight. Unbeknownst to them, he didn't say what he had thought when she had said that. He had almost, but in the end bit his tongue and kept his thoughts to himself.

 _No. Things won't be alright. I just hope they aren't as bad as I think they will be._

* * *

 **So I'm planning on going into a little more detail about each of the knights and developing them a bit.**


	5. Getting to know you

**Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 5.**

 **I apologize for this taking so long. Part of it is because I did some major revisions for the things down the road. And the other part is because I was hitting a bit of a rough patch in terms of desire to write.**

 **But here it is, finally.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _"AAAAHHHHH-Ooof!"_

Max let of a scream, followed by a grunt, as he went sailing through the air only to land roughly on the hot sand. He rolled a bit before coming to a stop on his back. He lay there, trying to regain his breath as he stared up into the blue sky above. His body was sore from repeatedly hitting the ground. Despite how much he would have like to simply lay there, he knew better to than to do so in present company. Groaning, pushed himself up onto his feet and turned to look at his opponent.

"Are you alright Maxwell?"

Selina stood there, eyeing him over to see if he had sustained any serious injuries from when she had thrown him. She didn't look condescending, but she definitely wasn't overly worried about him being hurt. Not that Max could blame her, as he had just been slammed into the ground a few times. He doubted that he could sustain anything more serious that a few bruises from that.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Max said, trying his best not to let his discomfort or fatigue show.

Selina did not look all that convinced, although she did not press the issue further. "Very well. Shall we continue?"

Max stood in the middle of the sparring circle, trying to think of a way for him to get out of another round of sparring. Selina was leagues ahead of him in skill and ability. He knew that he had said that he didn't want her to hold back when they had started, but perhaps he had overestimated himself, or underestimated the Mienshao. Either way, another round was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

"Actually," he began, "I'm a little winded. You think we can take a break for a bit, and you can show me where I need improvement?"

Selina did not object to the suggestion, only gesturing to the side at a pair of boxes the two had set aside earlier. The pair made their way over at seated themselves on a box each. Max slouched comfortably, whereas Selina sat rigid, although it didn't seem to bother her.

Max, after taking a drink of water from some water skins the two had prepared before hand, let himself fall back to lay on his box. His training with Selina had not gone according to how he though it would.

The two had spent the last hour and a half sparring. Although, as Max looked back, "Sparring" didn't sound as accurate as "being a punching bag" did. Selina had insisted on running the Riolu through some basic drills, both as a warm up and form of teaching. Max, in his infinite wisdom, had turned her down, wishing to get right to the interesting part. Now, as he lay there with his body in dull pain, he mentally slapped himself for his sheer stupidity. Selina didn't even look like she had been trying when she fought, and it was a eye-opener for him about his own abilities.

"Apologies Maxwell. I didn't mean to be so rough with you."

He turned to look at his companion, who was looking at him with concerned eyes. It made him feel odd that she was so concerned with his health, considering that she was the one putting him through the ringer. It was weird, but also sweet.

In the short time he had known her, Max had come to be fascinated with Selina. She was very attractive, as any male with eyes could attest to, and Max was sure she received suitors regularly much like how his sister wished. But at the same time, she was tough, if her combat ability was any indication. What's more, she was a Knight. It had been generations in Kalos since a female had been knighted. Sure, there were legends and myths about great female warriors doing heroic deeds throughout the world, but knights had traditionally been male for the majority of history and even more so in recent years. Max couldn't help but wonder at what she had done in order to receive the distinction.

Stifling a groan as he sat up, Max shook his head. "Nah, is alright. I asked you not to go easy on me after all. Still," he held his shoulder as he rotated it around, "you're a lot stronger than I thought. How did you learn to fight like that?"

Selina chuckled as she brought her waters skin to her lips for a drink. "I was taught to defend myself at an early age. It's served me well throughout my life so far."

Max tilted his head as he listened, finding himself enraptured as the Mienshao revealed more about herself. "Who taught you? Your dad?"

Selina shook her head, her smile wavering a bit. "No, it wasn't him. I don't remember my father. Or my mother for that matter."

"What? Why not? Did something bad happen?"

Selina couldn't stop a smile from returning to her face at the sight of the concerned and flailing Riolu across from her. "No, nothing like that Maxwell." After Max had calmed down, she continued. "When I was young, I was taken to a monastery by my parents. The monks there were the ones who raised me. I was taught their ways, both of the body and mind, and that was all I knew for a majority of my childhood."

Max, completely forgetting that they were supposed to be training, found himself hanging on her words. Questions gathered in his mind, and they found form in his words. "Why did your parents leave you there?"

Selina's smile disappeared, and she look straight ahead in thought. "If I'm honest, I'm not quite sure. They didn't leave any names or way to contact them when they left me. I've spent many a long night wondering the same thing myself..." She trailed off, her eyes becoming fogged over as she stared ahead.

It grew quiet, and it was making Max uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to bring up such a sensitive topic for her. Deciding to try and lighten the mood he had inadvertently ruined, he reached over and placed his hand on hers. "Hey, it's OK! I'm sure they had a good reason. Don't be sad!"

Selina, snapped out of her thoughts, looked at Max. He was smiling, trying to cheer her up from her sudden gloomy mood. She appreciated the gesture, and smiled back while she adjusted her own hand to squeeze his appreciatively. "Perhaps your right. Thank you Maxwell."

He nodded back, meeting and keeping her gaze. Thoughts and questions about her ran through his head, and he found her increasingly interesting by the moment. It wasn't until Selina spoke up that he was broken from his thoughts. "Um... Maxwell? You can let go of my hand now."

Blinking, he looked down and realized that he did indeed still have his hand grasping her own, not having noticed in his thinking. Blushing, he quickly snatched his hand back to his side. "Oh...ugh-ugh... I...um..." He stuttered, never having been a situation even remotely close to this and unsure of how to handle it. It took him a minute of stuttering before he shut his mouth and gathered himself. "I... s-sorry. I didn't mean...sorry..."

Selina, who had been smiling and watching Max as he had his little episode, simply giggled at his genuine embarrassment. "It's alright." Taking another swig of water, she found her feet. "Shall we continue our training?"

Max, who was eager to put his embarrassment out of his mind, nodded quickly as he jump to his feet next to her. "Sure. Are there any mystic monk techniques that you wanna show me?" He jested, trying to keep things light and happy. The last thing he wanted was to bring up something else that would bother her and ruin their training.

Much to his surprise, Selina looked up to the sky for a moment before looking at him, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Well, since you asked, there is one that I can show off for you." She turned and looked inside the boxes they had been using as seats to pull out a few clay pot. She sat the pot onto of the now closed box, then marched twenty paces away before turning to face her targets. "Observe Maxwell." She widened her stance, taking on a martial arts stance as she focused her gaze on the pottery sitting on the boxes. She held the stance for several seconds, not moving a muscle.

As a Riolu, Maxwell was well attuned to sensing aura. Although he would not be able to have any degree of mastery over it until he evolved into a Lucario, he did have a basic sense of things. He did sense that Selina's aura was growing more intense, but not in the same way it would for a move. He couldn't quite tell what she was doing, but it obviously took a lot of focus. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Selina moved, thrusting a arm out in a straight punch.

Max was surprised when the pot sitting twenty paces away exploded.

Selina stepped forward, following though with a second strike. Max watched her, trying to sense and observe what exactly she was doing. As she struck a second time, he "saw" her aura lance out from her hand. It wasn't quite as visible as a actual move like aura sphere or energy ball, but the air did shape around the energy. The result was what looked like a spear of air flying out from her hands as she stuck, impacting the pots with destructive force.

The Mienshao performed a few more strikes, obliterating a pot with each attack until all were nothing more than small pieces on the ground. As she threw her last punch, she held the stance at the end, breathing deeply before she moved back into a base stance with her feet together, upright with hands curled by her sides. A deep exhale finished the form as she dropped back into a casual stance.

She looked over to her small companion, who stared at her with mouth agape. "Well," she asked with a knowing smirk, "what do you think of that Maxwell?"

Max, shaking his head and closing his mouth as she addressed him, took a moment to organize his thoughts before he spoke. "That was... AWESOME!" He jumped around a bit, expressing his approval and excitement in a physical manner. "I've never seen that before! What were you doing with your arura? I couldn't tell! What do you call it? Are there more things like that?"

Chuckling at his excitement, Selina waved her arms in a calming manner. "Easy Maxwell." Max ceased his jumping, but still stared at her with awe in his sparkling eyes. "That was a technique the monks taught me. It's called The Deadly Reach. You harness your aura and force it out through physical movement. The effect is that you can hit your opponent with punches and kicks and the like at a distance. Quiet useful in combat."

"Wow" Max fawned over the new information, eyes sparkling in excitement. "Was it hard to learn?"

"Not as hard as one might think. While anyone can learn it in theory, it is much easier for a fightying-type. Some aura sensitivity is also a help." She paused before looking at Max with a genuine smile, "would you like to learn it Maxwell?"

"Would I!? Heck YES!"

Selina let out a short but genuine laugh at Max's enthusiasm. "Alright then. It's decided. Come here Max."

As the two stood side by side, Selina instructed Max into taking a base stance, with a wide stance and arms held close to the body. "We will need to go through some exercises to see how your aura control is, and where you need the most work. To start we'll..."

"Letholdus, could you bring me that pot of spice in the top cabinet?"

"Of course."

The sight in the kitchen was an odd scene to anyone who worked there regularly. Audrey, a regular fixture, was bouncing between ovens and counters, working on seemingly a dozen different dishes at once. Her small brown frame alternated between stillness as she worked on the station in front of her and a blur as she moved to the next station. Her hands were rarely still, constantly tasting and stirring and adding and adjusting.

In great contrast, Letholdus stood by, his form towering over his rabbit companion, rarely moving as he watched her work. By his own admission, Letholdus had no experience in the kitchen. He stood by, not attempting to help cook for fear of getting the much more experienced Buneary's way. Instead, he assisted by retrieving ingredients she needed. Althought she was loath to admit it, the Tyranitar's height and strength were a great asset, as he was able to reach high items or move large objects that she could not. She wasn't particularly fond of her short stature, and Letholdus' assistance was greatly appreciated.

Letholdus, having retrieved the asked for item, leaned down to hand it to the rabbit. "Here you are milady."

Audrey smiled appreciatively, "thank you." Adding a few pinches to the dish in front of her, she set the spice of to the side. The stirred in dish, took a taste and, approving, set it back to simmer. Bounding over to the next dish, she looked over her shoulder to look at her large companion. "Are you hungry?" She asked him, continuing to work without looking.

The great dragon nodded slightly. "I'd be lying if I said no."

Smiling, Audrey finished adding a few herbs before moving over to a counter to retrieve something. Turning back to him as she continued moving, she tossed over something to him. He grabbed the item and inspected it curiously. It was a pastry, a roll drizzled with white icing. He could observe a brown, rough texture in the curves of the roll. He looked up to the Buneary quizzically. "What's this?"

Not bothering to turn from her work to face him she said, "it's a cinnamon roll."

Letholdus tilted his head. "A... cinnamon roll?"

"Yep!" The Buneary chirped. "It's a personal recepie. Technically It's a desert, but I find that they make a great snack or even breakfast. Especially if your craving something sweet."

The Tyranitar sniffed the pastry, noting the sweet aroma it held. "What's in it?"

Audrey let out a quiet giggle. "It's bread, cinnamon, and icing. I occasionally add some other stuff based on who's eating, but that's the classic recepie. Try it!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Letholdus bit into the sweet pastry. He chewed a few moments before smiling in approval. "It's good." A few bites later, he found that the relatively small pastry had disappeared, much to his disappointment. "Ah..." He sighed, "the disadvantages of being so large."

Audrey couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the large Tyranitar pouting with crumbs and icing around his mouth. "I baked quiet a few. I keep the extras separate over there," she gestured to the far counter where a few plates filled with the sweet pastries sat, "so help yourself!"

Letholdus chuckled, and ambled his way over to the plate of sweets. Picking up one, he devoured half of it in a single bite. "Heh, your going to spoil me miss Audrey." He patted his stomach, "all these sweets and treats aren't all that good for the old body." He punctuated his statement by finishing the half-eaten roll in his hands in a single bite before reaching for another.

Stifling a giggle at the Tyranitar enjoying her baking, the Buneary smirked. "Oh you sweet talker," she teased, "you're plenty fit to indulge in a few deserts baked by yours truly. Don't sell yourself short."

"It might seem that way, but I'm not quite as young as you missy. I'm starting to feel my age these days."

"Oh? And do tell Letholdus, just how old are you?"

Letholdus chuckled, still helping himself to cinnamon rolls. "How forward of you, asking a gentleman his age. But if you must know, I'm just over sixty years."

Shock registered on Audrey's face as she look at her companion. "Really?"

"Really really."

Audrey would never have guessed the Tyranitar to be that old. With the way he carried himself, as well as his strength, she would have guessed him to be more in the range of early or mid thirties. She was impressed that he took good enough care of his body to fool her like that. "Wow, I'm impressed. I would have said you're in your thirties."

Her companion threw his head back and laughed loudly at her statement. "Now your just being mean!"

"I'm serious! I would have never guessed you're In your sixties!"

"Well then you really are too sweet miss Audrey."

Shaking her head at him, the normal-type returned to looking at her work. A few more minutes went by, the only sounds being that of Audrey working and Letholdus eating. Not that the banter with him wasn't fun, but Audrey did have to finish all this cooking, and it did go by faster when she could fully concentrate. So the next hour was spent working, Letholdus fetching her items that she required as she needed. It kept her busy, and there was plenty to do, but she loved it all the same.

Putting the last dish on a rack to cool, she turned to her dragon companion. "Welp, that's all of it. At least for now." She paused, a hand flying to her chin in thought, before she continued, "say Letholdus, I've got a question for you."

"What might that be?"

"If you've been around for so long, how come you can't cook? Even Max can cook a little, even if he does burn water, if you know what I mean."

The large pokemon's expression turned to one of amusement before he answered. "Well, I wasn't raised in the same way you all are." He paused to finish the roll in his hands before continuing. "You see, young Buneary, I come from Johto. I was born into a tribe of dragon pokemon living on Mt. Silver in the eastern part of the region."

This peaked her interest. While many civilizations had sprung up over the years, many dragon types had opted to live in remote regions of the world, disconnected from the larger groups and governments. Rather than a complex government and large cities, they preferred a simpler tribal structure and rather plain living conditions. She had heard that they did this to keep their wits and combat skills sharp. Thinking about it, she could believe it as dragons, naturally having one of the longest life-spans of any pokemon type and a naturally aggressive nature, would quite easily get bored and sluggish with the easy lifestyle of most major nations nowadays.

"While I was part of the tribe, I wasn't treated as an equal. I was dragonic in nature yes, but I wasn't a dragon type. So I had to work twice as hard as the others to get the same treatment." He shook his head, "but back to your question. The dragon tribes don't have quite as advanced culinary practices like cooking and baking. Most of the diet is composed of berries, roots, and meat. And yes, we do occasionally roast our food, but more often than not its raw berries and such."

"Hmph," Audrey made a noise of contemplation. It wasn't all that often that someone who had been among the tribes came into the kingdoms and shared their way of life. "Surely you've picked up some cooking skills along you travels?"

Letholdus laughed again, shaking his head as he did. "Not really. I know the basics, but what you do is far beyond my skills. Caitlyn was much better at cooking than I ever was."

Audrey cocked her head to the side, "Caitlyn?"

Letholdus froze as she repeated the name. He nodded after a moment, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "My mate. She was always a better cook than I was. Better at a lot of homely tasks than I was, truth be told. I miss her cooking."

Audrey smiled sweetly. "Aww, that's sweet. She must miss you, traveling like you are. Where is she now?"

The larger pokemon frowned as he look to the floor. "...I don't know..."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room at that point. Various questions and ideas ran through Audrey's head at the implication of Letholdus' words. Ultimately, after a minute or two of silence, she simply muttered an "Oh...I'm sorry..." She internally flinched at how that sounded, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

Heaving a heavy sigh, her companion looked back up at her. "No. It's... it's fine. You couldn't know. And besides, you're too young to be worrying about a old pokemon's personal problems."

Nodding in agreement, as any other response escaped her, she tapped her hands together as she looked around the room. "So... how were the cinnamon rolls?"

Happy to have something else to focus on, Letholdus smiled happily. "They are quite delicious. You truly are talented in your field miss. Never had anything quite like them." He looked up in thought, scratching his chin as he did so. "Come to think of it, I'm sure the others would love to try them."

"Then why don't we let them try some!" Bounding over to retrieve a full plate of the cinnamon confections, she moved towards the door. "I know where everyone should be this time of day. We can do a snack delivery."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Audrey." Letholdus lumbered and slightly bent down to get out the door, and the pair made their way down the hall to deliver the treats.

It was rather quiet in the library as Samwell sat at a wooden desk, several books spread open before him as he scribbled in a notebook. There were no other pokemon in the large room, and the Kirlia enjoyed the peace. He was bent over the desk, tongue poking his cheek in concentration at the task before him. Numbers and words and diagrams flooded the paper he wrote on, and he soon found himself flipping to a new page to continue his work.

His tranquility was shattered as the door swung open, rather loudly at that, and a Dewott strode in with his familiar swagger. In one hand he held a cinnamon bun, which he took a healthy bite out of, and the other held a plate full of the delicacies. He chewed contently as he arrived next to Sam and gave a little hop to sit at the edge of the desk, legs dangling off the side.

Sam, surprised by both the door bursting open and his companion's appearance, looked up at him in curiosity. "Can I help you, Luìs?"

The water-type shook his head, and swallowed before speaking. "No, but you can help yourself." He lowered the plate to offer a cinnamon roll to the Kirlia. "Have one. Audrey cooked them this very afternoon, and they are simply heavenly."

Sam's face was a mixture of want and restraint. "Ah... Well... I do love Audrey's cooking... But I really shouldn't spoil my dinner..."

"Ah, C'mon my friend. Spoil yourself!"

"I really shouldn't... It'll ruin my appetite and then I won't finish dinner and-Mmpfhhh!"

Luìs, who was intent on having Sam eat a cinnamon roll, took one off the top of the plate and shoved it into the psychic-type's mouth as he spoke. Initially startled, Sam couldn't help but take a bite as he removed the pastry from his mouth. The treat melted in his mouth in a mixture of fluffy bread and sweet cinnamon, and he couldn't suppress a slight whimper of pleasure at the taste.

Luìs, who had snagged another pastry, looked very smug as his friend enjoyed the desert. "See? What did Luìs tell you?"

Sam rolled his eyes at Luìs' boasting. "Yes, well. I'll give you a pass this time. In the future, please respect my personal wishes."

"Pppffff," Luìs waved his arm in a dismissive manner, "your too strict and structured Sam. Much too organized and uptight. You need to learn to lean back and enjoy yourself sometimes."

Sam frowned a bit as he swallowed another bite. "I like things structured and organized. Keeps things from getting hectic and from surprises from happening too often."

"Hah!" The Dewott laughed, setting the plate of rolls onto the desk. "That's no way to live life _Me Amigo._ Life is crazy and messy and spontaneous! You should enjoy it while you can! Treat yourself, take risks, live life as if today was your last!"

"That's easier said than done." Sam fiddled with his treat as he spoke. "I've got a lot of responsibility. Other count on me to get things done. I can't just throw my duties to the side to go do whatever my whim dictates."

Luìs observed the psychic-type, smirking as he listened to what he had to say. "Your take your duties seriously. This is a good thing. But you must realize Sam, that you only live once. You have to use your youth wisely! What happens when one day, when you're old and withered, you look back and regret that you didn't enjoy life as much as you could have when you were young? That you let it all slip by because you were being so serious?"

"Well..."

"Exactly!" The Dewott's face softened, "I understand how you feel Sam. You want to evolve so you can stop feeling so self-conscious about your feminine middle-evolution, don't you?"

Sam couldn't answer his companion with words, shocked by his easy analysis of him. He could only look down, still fiddling with his roll, and nod softly.

"I see. But you must understand that just evolving won't make you feel less self-conscious. That comes when you accept yourself, for all your faults and perk and all your entirety. Only then can you begin to truly live." He paused for a moment before shooting Sam a look, "but if it's any consolation, you're very good looking as you are."

The Kirlia wasn't sure how to take that. Normally he might have thought it a taunt or teasing by some snobby high-born or masculine noble. But Luìs seemed genuine in his complement, and didn't seem to harbor any ill will. Either way, Sam blushed out of embarrassment. "Um... Thanks?"

"Take it as a compliment! I have no trouble admitting when someone is good looking when I see them. Why just on my way up here I saw a rather cute Linoone passing by."

The mention of the normal-type caused Sam to look up in a mixture of shock and surprise. "Wait, a Linoone? Was it carrying a messenger bag over it's shoulder and running down the hall?"

Luìs nodded. "Why yes, actually! It was."

"Ugh..." Sam was at a loss for words. He took a moment to compose himself and think about how he wanted to word this before he let out a sigh before he continued. "Um... Luìs... That Linoone was Thomas."

"Oh? Well at least I know his name now."

"Luìs... Thomas is a male, like you and me."

"And a very cute one at that. Hopefully I'll see him around again."

Sam tilted his head as he listened to the Dewott speak. He was silent as he processed his friend's response before continuing. "You... do realize that you called another male 'cute', right?"

Luìs nodded, never loosing his smile. "Yes, I do. There's nothing wrong with admitting when someone is attractive, now is there?"

"Well, I suppose not..." A question popped up in Sam's mind, and he was simply too curious to not ask. "Luìs... I don't mean to offend, but... are you attracted to males?"

Rather than a meek or offended response he had expected, Luìs simply laughed merrily at the question. "No offense at all my friend! To answer your question, I'm attracted to both males and females."

Sam was genuinely surprised at this. Kalos relationships traditionally were between a male and female. Nothing about a same-sex attraction had ever been brought up in any official capacity. Now there were plenty of other kingdoms and governments that had such things as the norm, at least that's what he had heard. Sam, however, neve expected he'd meet someone who was like that.

"Oh... I would have never guessed."

"Does that bother you Sam?"

"What? No no, not at all. It's just... I never met anyone who was like that is all."

The water-type nodded in understanding. "I can see that. It's not a very common thing here in Kalos if I remember correctly. Seeing as how that's the case, It's understandable that you would be surprised."

Nodding in agreement, papers completely forgotten, another question entered into Sam's head. It seemed rather inappropriate to ask, but raw curiosity overcame decorum. "Ummm...Luìs..."

"Yesssss?"

"I...I don't mean to pry into you private affairs... but have you... been...with a male before then?"

Luìs grinned smugly. "Ah-ha. Interested in my personal life, are we?" Sam only blushed and began to stutter and apology before Luìs spoke up again. "It's fine Sam. Ask any question you have. And to answer you, yes I have been with several partners before, both male and female. It's rather common where I come from. We focus more on the connection between two individuals than their physical forms."

Interest peaked, Sam leaned in closer. "I don't think I recall you mentioning your birthplace Luìs. Would you kindly share where you are from?"

At the mention of his origins, the Dewott puffed out his chest a little bit more, and a proud smile worked it's way onto his features. "I, my kind psychic friend, hail from _Joya Esmeralda_ , the great city of the Emerald Seas."

Sam looked up in thought, running through the numerous towns and cities of the other regions. "Joya Esmeralda... I recognize that name. It's the one of the biggest seats of powers for water-types. It's commonly referred to as the 'Floating City' as I recall."

"Correct!" Luìs stood on the table, arms and hands moving in grandiose gestures as he spoke his piece. _"Joya Esmeralda_ is one of the most magnificent civilizations in the world. You see Sam, the city is mostly inhabited by water-types. The city itself is free-floating! It travels with the will of the oceans, never staying in one place too long. Tis beautiful sight to look out over the horizon and see nothing but the sparkling sea to greet you!" He looked up in nostalgia. "Ah, what I wouldn't give to see it again."

"You said that It's common for same-gender relationships?"

"Ah, yes! You see, the government is a bit different than what your used too. It is much more laid-back than here or anywhere else for that matter. The only real thing that is regulated is the economy, crime, and defense. Otherwise, the city is as flexible as the sea itself. Many citizens are care free, choosing to pursue art or music or other such things. Very little emphasis is placed on money or material possessions. Instead, emotions and experiences are what is more widely valued. We see the more intangible things, like a emotional connection, as more important than the physical, like a body."

"Fascinating."

Luìs smiled. "Perhaps one day you might visit it Sam. It will be a enlightening experience for you, I'm sure."

Nodding in agreement, Sam look out of the window nearby. He noticed that the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. He looked back up to Luìs, who still stood on the desk. "It's getting late. Dinner should be soon."

Hopping down to the floor, Luìs beamed brightly. "Excellent! I was getting a little famished." He looked over to the plate that still held a few cinnamon buns. "Ah, but such a shame to waste a delicious treat... Hmm." He looked at his feet for a moment, contemplation written across his face. Several seconds later, he looked back up and snapped his digits. "I know! I'm sure Juno would like them. She may not look it, but the fiery female has one heck of a sweet tooth." He picked up the plate and made his way over to the door he had burst in though earlier. He turned to look over his shoulder. "Care to join me Sam?"

Still seated, Sam shook is head softly. "I would. But I've got to get these accounts copied before the end of the night. I'll meet you at dinner thought?"

"Alright then." Luìs resumed his walk throuh the door, waving his arm without looking back. "See you at dinner!"

"Is this really all you do all day Princess?"

"Not all day. And it's not as boring as it looks!"

"Says you."

Inside Elizabeth's bedroom, the Princess and her Charmeleon companion sat in conversation. Elizabeth was seated in one of her chairs, and favorite book of hers in her hands. By contrast, Juno was lying on the Princess' bed, one arm behind her head with legs crossed and her tail swishing to and fro slowly, eating a cinnamon roll from the near-empty plate on the night stand. The pair had been there for the better part of two hours. And while Elizabeth was used to keeping herself occupied in her room, Juno was having much more difficulty in keeping boredom from setting in. It had started as the occasional comment, and now escalated into a full on conversation between the two.

"It's not that bad! I enjoy doing things in my room! It gives me some peace and privacy."

"Hmph. I don't get it. There's no room to run around, not training equipment, heck there's barley enough room to work out! Don't you get any exercise?"

"I don't usually work out, no. I much more prefer my hobbies to getting all sweaty and sore."

"Pfff. Priss."

"I am not!"

"Princess Priss."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her companion's behavior. "Ugh. You just can't understand. Don't you do anything else besides fight and train?"

"Course I do." The fire lizard raised a hand from behind her head to count of on her claws. "Eat. Sleep. Get in the occasional fight. You know, the basic stuff."

The Braixen shook her head at Juno, unable to understand her mind-set and thought process. "Why would you normally get into fights? What purpose does that serve?"

"Well," the Charmeleon began, "to be fair, it's only my fault half the time. The other half is when some big strong male thinks I need his protection, his flirtation, or thinks that he can pull some moves to get some tail. Those are the kinds of people I fight with, and after we fight is about the time they run whimpering to find someone to rest their bones into place."

"...You're not joking are you?"

"Not in the least."

Elizabeth, deciding that she wouldn't be able to get any reading done, closed her book and put it back in the draw on her night stand. "Why are you so violent? I'm half worried that you'll destroy the maid when she comes in to clean."

"Don't worry. I only destroy the people who deserve it. " Juno stretched a bit as she yawned before rubbing her eyes and returning to her original position. "Anyways, I'm getting bored just sitting here."

"Why don't you go outside to train then?"

"Kale instructed me to stay with you. And you don't really look like you'd enjoy my kind of training anyway."

"Then read a book or knit something."

"Can't do that."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm not a priss."

Fuming at the continued teasing, Elizabeth put her hands on her hips in irritation. "So you can't leave, but you don't want to do anything in here. What do you expect me to do about that?"

"Well we could play a little game."

"What kind of game?"

Juno looked over at Elizabeth with a smug smile on her face. "It's a game that Kael taught all of us. It's called twenty questions."

"Twenty questions?"

"That's right. Apparently it used to be a human game, back before they ruined their governments and themselves and basically everything." She shook her head, "anyway, we each ask each other a question about ourselves. Favorite food, color, that kinda thing. Apparently It's supposed to help you learn more about another person. Don't know it it's true, but it sure as heck beats sitting around doing nothing."

Thinking it over, Elizabeth decided that at least humoring Juno was preferable to her continued nagging. Seating herself on her chair once more, she made herself comfortable before she looked back to Juno. "OK. You're first."

Apparently Juno had already prepared some questions, as she answered almost as soon as Elizabeth had finished her sentence. "How many fights have you been in?"

"Like actual fights? Um, none."

Juno shook her head, "shoulda figured. OK, your go."

Elizabeth's face scruched up in thought for a bit as she tried to think of what she wanted to know about her companion. "umm... how old are you?"

"Seventeen. Just a year younger than you. Favorite color?"

"Green. It reminds me of the spring and summer. Cake or pie?"

"Pie, definitely. More filling and more options when it comes to taste. Favorite holiday?"

The pair continued this for an hour, asking things both critical and trivial. Although they had far exceeded the titular twenty questions, neither cared. While it wasn't the most fun thing she had ever done, it was interesting in its own right. She felt she did know Juno a bit better, if only slightly. She noticed the sun going down, and was about to end their game to make their way to dinner when Juno's next question caught her off guard.

"How may males have you been with?"

The Braixen chocked on air as she processed what was asked. Coughing as a hand flew to her chest, she turned to look at her companion in shock. "I'm not answering that!"

Juno raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"B-because. That's private!"

"Defensive. So either it's a lot or none, one of the two."

"Don't assume things like that! Why do you even care?"

"It's part of the game and I'm curious. So spill it."

"No!"

Juno looked sideways at the Princess before she sighed. "If it'll help, I'll tell you mine. A freebie, so we are on even ground. That make you feel better?"

Still somewhat appalled at Juno's lack of tack with such a private and personal matter, Elizabeth only sighed after thinking it over. "No. That's personal and private and I don't want to share it with-"

"Zero."

Despite being cut off mid-sentence, Elizabeth was genuinely surprised with Juno's answer. "Excuse me?"

Juno repeated herself, not looking away from the ceiling. "You heard me. Zero. I've never been with a male. Never even been kissed before actually."

A stunned firefox stood there, starring at the shorter Charmeleon on her bed. Part of her was surprised at the confession, especially considering it was to someone the Charmeleon barley knew. But another part was just as surprised at the confident, almost off-handed nature she had delivered it with, like she was discussing the weather rather than a very personal part of her life. "You... don't sound very bothered by admitting that."

Juno simply shrugged. "I suppose not. What is there to be ashamed of? That's how I decided to live my life, and nobody can judge me for making the decisions that I did."

Elizabeth's emotions did a complete one-eighty. A few minutes ago, she saw Juno as a somewhat snobby tomboy, and wasn't all that pleased to be in her company. Now, after listening to her conviction in her admittance that most others would prefer to keep private, Elizbeth admired her. Though she never shared it much with anyone, judgement was something that deeply bothered Elizabeth. Having been raised with such high standards and pressure, she feared few things more than other looking down on her in disapproval for a choice she made. Juno seemed the complete opposite, and didn't seem to care in the least what others thought.

Realizing it had gone quiet, Elizabeth kicked at the ground a little as a question bubbled up from her previous thoughts. "My turn now, yeah?"

"That's how the game has worked the last hour."

"Where are you from? Your birthplace I mean."

Juno's tail stopped it's swishing as she froze at the question. A moment later, she relaxed, but her face suddenly had a serious, almost melancholy look to it. "Heh, now that's a good question." Juno closed her eyes as she began her answer. "I told you I'm from Johto. More specifically, I'm from a little town called New Bark in the east. It's a small place, no more than a hundred people, kids included. Mom and Dad were berry farmers by trade, or at least that's what they would say if you asked."

Juno sighed at this point, opening her eyes to stare intently at the ceiling. "The truth is that we didn't have a whole lot of success at the whole berry thing. A few trees and bushes we could maintain, but a lot of our land was poor quality soil. Couldn't grow weeds if our lives depended on it. Made up the losses by digging up rocks and minerals and selling them to a industry company in Cherrygrove, a city a ways west."

Elizabeth nodded, although she wasn't sure Juno saw or particularly cared. "Why'd you leave?"

Juno let out a huff of amusement at the question. "Heh. Because I wanted change. Not a whole lot of pokemon are able to live in comfort in New Bark. A pretty dead-end place to live in all honesty. So a lot of families look to marry their kids off to local business leaders and wealthy merchants who do a lot of the economic handling in the area. My parents suggested it to me, but I didn't bite. I'm not the kind of girl who will just lay back and spread my legs just to make things comfy for myself." She glared at the ceiling as she continued. "So I decided I'd make my own way in the world. Carve out a piece for myself. I started training as young and hard and often as I could. Soon enough, I was stronger than most of the adults in the town, and certainly more than those fat greedy slobs. With no one to stop me, I just started to... wander. Looking for my calling in life I guess."

Princess Elizabeth stood there, listening intently to Juno as she told her short tale. It was... illuminating to know Juno's background. While the Braixen still saw her as a tomboy, she could at least understand a little of how she had grown to be that way. She had to respect the Charmeleon for making her own path in life when none offered appealed to her. Perhaps not what Liz herself would choose, but she wouldn't judge Juno for her choices.

Not that the lizard would care.

"Whelp," Juno groaned as she leaned up to stretch, then hop to her feet, "dinner should be soon and I'm starving. Let's go."

Nodding in agreement, Elizabeth strode next to the much shorter Juno as they exited the room and began the walk down the hall. It was quiet save for the pair's footsteps, and the sun threw a pleasant glow against the wall. Juno seemed just as bored as she did earlier, while Elizabeth has was still digesting Juno's little story. It seemed Juno had a lot more too her than a vulgar, fight-oriented personality. Before they had gone a long way, something popped into Elizabeth's head.

"Zero."

Juno looked at her taller counterpart in confusion. "What?"

"Zero."

"Zero what?"

"That's my answer to your question. Zero males."

Juno's eyes shrunk to slits as she studied the Braixen next to her for a few moments. Eventually, her expression shifted to a much friendlier smirk. "Good on you then Liz. Glad to see you're not like most nobles nowadays." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the praise, if she could call it that, and the two returned to walking in silence to their evening meal. The silence, however, was rather short lived.

"Even if you are a priss."

"I am NOT!"

* * *

 **I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I really need to stick to some kind of schedule.**

 **Anyway, next chapter will focus a bit on the lore side of things. Particularly dealing with the legendaries.**

 **Any critiques, suggestions, etc, let me know.**

 **Until next time.**

 **-Cheers!**


	6. What do you believe?

"...and then she punched at the pot and it exploded! She didn't even touch it! It was awesome!"

Max, in the middle of his tale, threw out a punch as if to mime the scene as he spoke, adding a "Hiya!" For emphasis. He was in the family sitting room, waiting for dinner to be served. In attendance were his sister, his mother, and the four Unovan knights. Kael and Alexander were absent, but on their way there. Max was in the middle of regaling his audience with his experience with Selina earlier that afternoon.

Selina, who was sitting next to Max in one of the extra chairs brought in to accommodate everyone, smiled bashfully and waved off the Riolu's praise. "Oh come now Max. It wasn't all that impressive."

"Are you kidding!? It totally was! You can probably take on Arceus your so strong!"

The rest of the group laughed at the praising Riolu and the now blushing Meinshao. As Selina tried to hid her embarrassed blush behind a hand and sleeve, Maria smiled at her son. "Well I'm glad that you had such a riveting day Max. Selina sounds like quite the warrior and young woman." She paused to look slyly at her son and his Mienshao companion. "Glad to know I can leave you two alone and you won't get into trouble. A bit earlier than I though to let you run around with a girl, but I approve of Selina."

Everyone but Max and Selina giggled or laughed at the teasing. Selina looked more like a tamato berry at this point, not knowing how to handle the situation. Max, on the other hand, tilted his head in confusion. "I don't get it. What do you mean a bit earlier? What kind of trouble would we get into?"

Luìs and Juno burst out laughing, the former falling out of his chair, while Letholdus and Maria chuckled heartily at Max's genuine confusion. Liz giggled behind her hand, as Sam and Audrey simply smiled widely at the scene. Selina was trying to hid herself with her sleeves of fur, whining quietly as everyone laughed, especially considering that it was the Queen who made such a remark.

The warm scene went on for a bit, everyone genuinely enjoying the atmosphere and company, even Selina despite her predicament. After everyone calmed down, and Luìs managed to climb back into his chair, they all exchanged idle chatter for a while. Luìs, laying casually with one leg over the arm of his chair, talked with Sam and Max some more about the mechanics of a floating sea-city. Letholdus had the attention of Liz, Audrey, Selina and Maria as he talked at length about his various travels and what he'd seen. Both were excellent auditors, with Letholdus having a bit more presence while Luìs had a flair for the dramatic.

Maria, who was watching Letholdus intently, suddenly had a blank expression on her face, eyes staring ahead and unfocused. Letholdus, in the middle of retelling how he had stopped a company of mercenaries from raiding a village, noticed and stopped to address her. "You Majesty? Are you well?"

Everyone in the room stopped and stared at the zoned-out Delphox. After some time, she blinked, shook her head, and looked around at her surroundings. After recalling where she was, suddenly looked very serious, quite the contrast from her earlier jovial expression. "Audrey, would you be so kind as to fetch some wine? One of the Fortified ones, the strongest we have if you please."

Audrey, as well as everyone else, gave Maria an odd look at the sudden request. But nonetheless, the Buneary nodded and hopped out of her seat and over to a small cupboard In the corner of the room. A bit of rustling and clinking filled the room before she returned with a bottle, which she presented to her monarch. Nodding in appreciation, Maria uncorked the bottle and began filling up a wine glass she had psychic-ed over from the same cupboard.

Elizabeth, who knew her mother was not one for heavy drinking, gave the older fox a look. "Err... Mom? What's that for?"

"You'll see in about five seconds."

Everyone went silent, curious as to what she was talking about. Elizabeth and Audrey both twitched their ears as foot steps made their way to the door. A second later, the handle rattled a bit before the door swinging open and Alexander stepped in. Elizabeth was about to ask what was going on, as Alexander was not a heavy drinker either. Her voice was cut off as she saw Kaeal arrive behind her father.

He was hurt.

The white bandages wrapped his torso were an eye sore, much too white against the Zoroark's naturally dark fur. A large blot of scarlet colored one of his sides, telling her that this was fairly serious, and not just some scratch. He quite clearly favored that same side, one arm held against the large, red area of the wound and moving rather sluggishly and winching with each step.

"Kael!"

Everyone was instantly concerned. Max, Audrey and Sam all just stared in shock at their wounded friend. Luìs sat up straighter, Letholdus stared grimly, and Selina was instantly on her feet and at his side. Despite his obvious pain and discomfort, the Zoroark tried his best to smile at everyone. "Evening everyone. I apologize for the interruption."

Selina lead him to the chair that had been left for him, and gently helped him to sit. She tried to reach for his bandages, but he stopped her. "It's fine Sel." The Mienshao looked at him with a glare, more scolding than angry.

Max's voice was the one that replied. "Fine!? It's NOT fine! What happened to you?"

Kael sighed. "Well, it's a bit of a story. It's a bit involved, and I'm sure none of you want to be bored by me." He stopped when a wine glass, filled to the brim, was held in front of him. He looked to Maria, who was leaning over the side of the seat next to him to offer the drink.

"Drink," she told him softly, "it'll help take the ease the pain and take the edge off."

He stared a little before nodding and accepting the glass. Elizabeth thought he would sip at it throughout his little tale, drinking slowly as wine should be. Imagine her surprise when he lifted it to his lips and tilted his head back, quaffing the whole glass in a single go. After several mouthfuls of the strong wine, he lowered the glass, only to hold it out, have Maria refill it, and down that glass as well. Grunting in satisfaction, or perhaps appreciation, he wiped his mouth with the back of a clawed hand. "Thank you."

Maria nodded, then looked to her mate. "What happened Alexander?"

The Lucario sighed heavily as he sat in his own chair, leaning to support his head with one hand. "It seems that some citizens dislike dark-types even stronger than we thought. Turns out a select group of them has decided to voice their displeasure in a more...," he paused, eyes closed as he searched for the right word, "...physical... manner."

Audrey was the next to pipe up. "But they can't just do that!" She looked to Alexander with confused eyes. "...can they?"

The fighting-steel type sighed again as he rubbed the side of his face with a hand. "It's... very complicated."

"How so your Majesty?" Sam asked.

"Well," the King began, "the ones who attacked him claimed they did so on divine right. They used their beliefs in order to justify their actions. Now while we are holding them, we have to be careful of how we do this. We can't let them get away with this, be sure of that. At the same time, too heavy, and that sends the signal that we might oppress anyone who opposes our views or wishes to express their views They have a lot of supporters, and angering them would certainly lead to more problems down the road."

"Who was it!?" Everyone turned to look at Juno, who had been relatively silent and still since the pair had walked in. She grit her teeth, claws digging into the chair arms and tail flame burning larger than usual. "Just say who it was and I'll break their knee caps!"

Kael, who along with the knights were the only ones not put off by the Charmeleon's aggression, only looked at her sternly. "Juno. Clam down. I'm fine."

"Screw that noise! You're not OK! Someone is going to pay for this, now tell me who!"

"Juno! Calm. Down."

The words, heavy with the weight of authority, along with a stern look were enough to calm down the fire-type, at least for the time being. Nodding in satisfaction, Kael leaned back, flinching as he did so. "Let's not start a civil war. Especially since we are guests here. Leave the punishments to Alexander and Maria. They know how to run their kingdom."

Huffing, but without any real rebuttal, Juno crossed her arms and looked to the side, puffing out some fire as she did so. Elizabeth, happy that the fire lizard would not go on a rampage in the near future, looked at Kael. "Please, tell us what happened. And why."

The two Kings shared a look before Kael nodded. Alexander nodded back before turning to speak. "The assailants were led by Father Geoffry. Apparently it was his idea to sneak in and try to... remove... Kael."

The name of Father Geoffry conjured images of a Nidoking in flowing robes and friendly, charismatic demeanor. He was a regular fixture at the large temple in the town. He often preached and held sermons weekly, and was relatively well-liked all round. It was rather shocking that such a friendly, familiar face would be responsible for an attempted assassination, or assault at the very least.

Elizabeth voiced her question. "Why would Geoffry do that? He's such a nice person usually."

Kael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking down at the floor with a uncomfortably look no his face. "Well... Part of it is my being a dark-type."

"But that's not grounds to start attacking pokemon in the streets."

"Not usually, no. But I'm a... special case, I suppose you could say."

Liz, Max, Audrey and Sam all looked at each other in confusion. Apparently they were the only ones left out of the loop and clueless as to what Kael meant. "We're kinda lost Kael..."

"I suppose I should clear things up..." Kael shifted again, seemingly working up the nerve to say whatever he needed to say. He looked to each of his knights with a questioning, almost fearful look. Each gave him a confident nod in turn, and he breathed a heavy sigh as he met Elizabeth's stare. "Alright... what do you know about the Legendaries?"

The four looked at each other again, very confused at the question. What did the Legendary pokemon have to do with his attack?

Max spoke up. "Well...um... they are supposed to be super powerful and important and stuff. Some are supposed to help the world exist I think."

Kael nodded. "That's a fairly basic summary Max. But do any of you know the story of how the world was created by the Legendaries? "

Sam was the one who answered next. "Well, the popular belief is that Arceus was the first pokemon, and created and shaped the world, the other Legendaries of the Hall of Origins, and eventually humans as well. Then, somewhere along the line, some infighting began between the Legendaries, and the Hall was disbanded, the Legendaries spread, and that's how it's been since."

"Yes, that's the most popular belief. It is the creation story of the Church of the Golden Wheel, the most prominent belief system in the world."

"I remember that," Audrey chimed in. "Geoffry was a member of the church."

"That's right. The Golden Wheel worships Arceus as the God of the world, and believe that following his will allows them access to the Hall of Origins when they die." He paused for a moment, "and that is wherein lies the problem."

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"Well, you all know the story of Arceus and Girtina yes? At least the version that the church tells?"

Audrey nodded. "Well, the story is that Giratina was the oldest son of Arceus, and considered to be his right hand 'mon. After working for so long under Arceus, Giratina began to get jealous of his rule and power and privilege. So, he started a revolt. He tried to overthrow Arceus, with the help of some heretics, but he failed. As punishment, Arceus banished Giratina to the Distortion Realm, while branding his followers as traitors. The result was the birth of the dark-type pokemon, followers of Giratina and opposes of Arcues' divine rule."

"That's correct. At least, as far as the Church's version goes. You'll find that different regions and sects and groups have their own variation on the story. But they mostly follow the same script."

"Alright," Elizabeth piped in again, "so that's the origin story. But what does that have to do with your being attacked?"

Kael chuckled, although without humor. "Heh, well it explains his motives. After all, how could a right and proper church-goer stand by when there is a follower of Giratina in his city?"

Everyone was silent, each taking in his words and pieceing together what he meant. Once again, Elizabeth was the one who spoke up. "A follower of Giratina? What does that..." Her eyes widened, as did everybody else's as the pieces fell into place. "So you..." She pointed at Kael hesitantly.

The Zoroark nodded. "That's right. I believe you call us Distortionists if I'm not mistaken?"

The Braixen couldn't decide which was worse: The fact that Kael was a Distortionist, or the off handed manner in which he admitted to something that would most certainly endanger his life if the general population knew. It seemed all the younger pokemon in the room were in shock at his admission of something so... well, shocking.

Max was the one who eventually spoke up next, head tilted. "So... Do you like, kick Lillipup and steal candy from Pichu?"

Kael smiled at the Riolu. "Well, that's a bit presumptuous, don't you think Max? Thinking that your view of my beliefs define me?"

Max frowned, not meaning to offend. "But that's what they say you guys are like."

"Because they hate us. Do you think they'd tell the truth if the truth was more pleasant than they would like?"

"Ah... Well..." Max began to look ashamed the more he thought on it. It did seem like he had just changed his opinion on Kael based soley on his personal beliefs.

"It's fine Max. You haven't been exposed to these things. You had no way of knowing, so don't fret over it." Kael paused, taking another swig of wine, before continuing. "If you'd all like, I can share with you our beliefs. That way, you have the stories of both sides."

The four looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement, before looking back at the Unovan monarch and nodding. The knights, having likely already known all this, simply sat and watched the young ones with interested eyes. Alexander and Maria also didn't seem at all bothered by Kael's admission. Whether they already knew or were just good at controlling their expressions was anyone's guess.

Downing the last of his third glass, Kael sat back, folding his hands over his stomach as he got comfortable. "Well, let's see..." Everyone else made themselves comfortable, eager to listen to the story the dark-type was about to tell.

"The story starts out the same as any other. There was nothing. And then, in the first breath of creation that formed our reality, there was an egg. And from this egg, Arceus was born. I think most everybody is in agreement on that little detail of the origins of our world. However, just because he was the _first_ , doesn't mean he was the _only._ "

"So... He had siblings?" Max piped up, eyes focused on the fox.

"That's right. From the egg sprang three pokemon, the ones who would shape our world. Arceus was the first to break free. The second, his brother, was Giratina. And lastly, the youngest, was their sister Mew."

"So wait. Your saying that Arceus, Giratina, and Mew are all siblings. That they all were born at the same time?" Max asked again.

"Mhmm. Well, not at the same time per say, but that is what we Distortionists believe. Anyway, Arceus, Giratina, and Mew went about creating our world. Believe it or not, all three could create. The world, our physical plane of existence, was molded by the three of them working together. But of course, once they finished with the earth, they realized that they would need inhabitants."

"So they created pokemon?" Sam asked, leaning forward and supporting his head with both hands.

Kael flinched. "Well, not exactly. Arceus tried to create life, tried to create pokemon, but only ended up making humans. Or at least, the precursor to humans. Try as he might, he just couldn't replicate the same... 'spark' that he and his siblings had. With the assistance of Giratina, the brothers were able to create what would become modern humans. But even the pair of them couldn't create a creature in their own image. Now this is where Mew comes in. Mew was a female, the first female, and had something that her brothers didn't. She could replicate the 'spark' all of them had. So with assistance from each brother, she was able to bear their first descendants. That's where her name of 'Mother of all pokemon' comes from, despite Arceus being the first one created."

Elizabeth made a uncomfortable face at that part of the story. "So, Mew, the first female pokemon, was _bred_ by her brothers? Doesn't that sound... kinda weird and wrong?"

"Technically speaking, yes, that would be the equivalent. But remember who we are talking about. I don't think they actually went through the physical process of breeding. These are Legendaries who have much more power and aura control than we mortals. I think it's much more likely that they simply combined essences into life, and gave that life a physical form. It's also where the distinction of 'Male' and 'Female' came to be formed. One of each would be needed to form a new life, with the males providing the essence and the female providing the spark." The fire-type, satisfied with the explanation and worries put to rest, nodded for him to continue.

"Arceus was the first to have sons, as he considered it his right as the eldest to do so. He had two sons the first go-around. You know them as Palkia and Dialga. Giratina was next, and he was also given two sons: Yveltal and Xerneas." Elizabeth shuddered at the name Yveltal, the image of a large, glowing red bird with piercing eyes sprung into her mind for a moment. She shook her head a little, and the image and thought disappeared, leaving her slightly spooked but focused back on Kael.

"Now, again contrary to popular belief, the two pairs of sons worked quite well together. At a certain time, at a certain place, a life would start. And then, at another time and place, that life would end. The four worked in tandem to uphold the charges their fathers placed on them. And even in their work, they formed bonds of kinship between the four of them."

"Now it was next decided that more Legendaries would be needed, as neither Arceus nor Giratina would be able to micromanage the world once things got going. So Arceus had three more sons: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. Groudon and Kyogre would be charged with the maintenance between the land and the sea, just as Rayquaza would be charged with making sure neither overpowered the other. Giratina, this time, only had a single son. His name, well... no one actually knows what his name was. What we _do_ know is that this son would, with the interference of humans, eventually be split into Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem."

"Wow." Audrey let out involuntarily. "I never thought that there was such a different version of this story."

"It gets better. Around this time, there was some tension between the three original siblings. You see, while Mew was an integral part of creating the Legendary pokemon, more of her brother's essence was used instead of her own, so they called them fathers, but not her mother. And while she was able to create mortal pokemon, with her brothers' help, they were mortals and weren't in constant contact like the Legendaries were. As more Legendaries were created, such as the Swords of Justice, Hetran, and Genesect, more and more sided with either brother, but none with her. She began to grow frustrated. She had this drive, this desire to create offspring that would see her as important in their lives, to be an actual mother. Meanwhile, Arceus and Giratina were starting to square off. See, Arceus did not particularly like that Giratina had just as many sons and descendants who were just as powerful as his. Maybe he felt that his status as eldest earned him some special treatment. Or perhaps he saw this as his brother being just as powerful and important as himself and felt threatened."

"But why would that be a problem? They were brothers, weren't they? Why does it matter if they were equals?" Sam asked. He was an only child, so he didn't see why something like equal treatment among siblings would cause such a problem.

"Heh, that is hard to explain unless you've experienced it yourself. It's very easy for an older sibling to feel upstaged if one of the younger match or even beat them. Regardless, tensions began to mount. In an attempt to help Mew, Giratina offered to help her produce her own offspring, which she accepted. These new offspring would call her their mother, and came to be known as the 'sprites.'"

"Sprites?" Audrey asked with head cocked.

"A type of classification. They are called Sprites because they took on many of Mew's characteristics, namely their small size, as well as a lack of any great responsibility in worldly workings." Kael brought a hand off to count on his claws, "the Sprites include Celebi, Victini, Jirachi, the lake trio, and Meloetta. They are certainly powerful, but they don't have any responsibility like Palkia or Dialga. They kind of just do their own thing."

Kael shook his head. "Anyway, Arceus was beyond angry when he found out that Giratina had let Mew have her own offspring, without his approval, not that he would have approved in the first place. He confronted his brother, claiming that Mew was his by right, and that only he would be allowed to reproduce anymore. Giratina stood up to Arceus, claiming that he had no such right even if he was the eldest. That Mew was and individual with feelings and rights, and she could choose for herself what she did. Infuriated, Arceus called on all of their offspring, known collectively as the Council of Origins. He thought that, with their help, he could overpower his brother and sister and assert his dominance."

"So, imagine his surprise when the Legendaries were torn between the two. Some, like Dialga, Hetran and Palkia, supported Arceus. Others, like Groudon, Yveltal and Kyogre, sided with Giratina instead. Of course, Mew and hers sided with Giratina. With such a split opinion, Giratina knew that open fighting would result in unnecessary injury to many pokemon, both mortal and legendary. So, to avoid this, he challenged Arceus to single combat. A duel."

Kael paused again, taking yet another swig of wine to wet his throat before he continued. "As the stories go, the pair fought for ten days, neither giving the other an inch. Arceus was naturally stronger, being the oldest. But he has spent a long time basking in the admiration of humans and pokemon. Giratina, by contrast, had been working and improving himself constantly while working under his brother. In the end, training beat natural talent, and Giratina won the duel."

"Wait wait wait." Sam waved his hands, finding the story more and more difficult to believe. "You mean to tell me that Giratina, lord of the Distortion realm, won against Arceus?"

"That's how the story goes. Remember Sam, this was near the dawn of creation. The Legendaries were still new, in the grand scheme of things. They were young... or about as young as higher beings could be. Even the Legendaries have flaws, Samwell, remember that." Sam, still doubtful but intrigued at the same time, waved his hand as a signal to continue.

"As victor, Giritna was allowed to choose how things would be run now. He knew that his brother would never stop trying to assert his dominance, and that the fight had created a rift between all the Legendaries. So, he decided that the Council of Origins must be ended. He drained Arceus of a majority of his power, placing it in plates and in the jewel of life. This would keep Arceus from starting anymore wars between the Legendaries. Giratina himself decided it best to find a new home, and did so in the Distortion realm while leaving the Hall of Origins to Arceus. The rest of the council he let free, allowing them to live how and where they saw fit. So many of them roamed the world, finding their own homes or wandering place to place, living how they wished while also upholding any responsibilities they had. "

Kael, with the majority of his speech completed, leaned back into his chair. "Hmm. I think that about covers it. That's the jist of our version of the creation story."

Everyone was silent, musing over the tale just told to them. Even if they might not agree with it, it was undeniably interesting. Many different questions floated through everyone's head, some important and some insignificant. Thinking of one she wanted the answer to, a certain Braixen opened her mouth. "So, why do you follow Giratina?"

"Ahh, that's a good question. Understand that I don't necessarily follow Giratina, as in I don't worship him in the same way the church does Arceus. He is merely my Patron."

She raised a brow at the term. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Patron?"

Kael nodded. "That's right. A Patron is simply one of the Legendaries who someone has chosen to... well, not quite worship, but to believe in. It's a difficult thing to explain..." Kael brought a hand to his chin, thinking of how to explain the concept to them. "Well... Think of Meloetta. She's the Patron of a lot of artists and musicians because she embodies the two ideals of music and dance. Uxie is the Patron of scholars since he embodies knowledge. A Patron doesn't necessarily have to be the only Legendary someone believes in. Rather, it's the Legendary who embodies the things they find most important."

Max raised his hand as he spoke. "So if Giratina is your Patron, then what's he embody?"

"Giratina is known as the Father of the Forlorn. He helps comfort and guide those who go through hardships and loss. He promotes acceptance of others, self-sacrifice for the greater good, and humility in his followers."

"How does your family feel about that?" Max asked.

Kael froze, looking uncharacteristically shocked. His eyes fogged over for a moment, staring ahead as something played in his mind. It was very unusual for the usually laid-back and mellow dark-type. But a second later, he was back to normal, flashing a friendly-if somewhat strained smile- and answered. "They support it. It's actually quite common in Unova to worship and follow any Legendary one chooses. Or all of them. Or none of them. It's very free and accepting of one's spiritual views."

"That sounds cool! I wanna meet your family some time. They sound neat!" Max stood in his chair, arms stretched out on either side of his head. "Can I pick a Patron? What do I gotta do to do that?"

"You can absolutely do that Max. I encourage it actually. I find having something to believe in helps us through our darker moments. As for what you have to do, well that's up to you and how much you want to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ones spirituality is a personal matter. How open and expressive you are about it is your choice. Who you choose is also something only you can decided. As for practicing it, that will be based on your preference. For example, the Golden Wheel likes to put on complex rituals involving a lot of pomp and ceremony and material things. Which makes sense, as one of Arceus' attributes is pride in oneself. For contrast, Giratina followers usually don't have large ceremonies. A simple thanks or prayer in private is usually all that we do, reflecting humility. Whether you do one, the other, or somewhere in between will depend on you and you Patron."

"Ooooh. Who should I choose? Rayquaza? Or maybe Dialga? Oh oh, how about..."

Max began to jump up and down excitedly, listing off the various Legendaries he thought he might like. The others added their voices, and eventually everyone was offering advice on the subject to the excitable Riolu, much to his pleasure.

It was Elizabeth who, in the middle of the chatter of everyone else, noticed Kael was acting... off, as far as she knew. He cupped his glass with both hands, sitting it in his lap as he stared at his reflection in the deep red liquid. He had a blank look on his face, not uttering a peep nor moving. In fact, he seemed very somber in the middle of a lively, warm environment. Deciding to see what was on his mind, she reached out a hand to lay it on his. "Kael? Is something the matter?"

She felt him seize up, almost as if her touch had harmed him. He jerked his head up, staring at her in surprise. His eyes, she noticed, were... subdued. They lacked the lively, almost glowing energy they normally had. It took him only a second to shake his head, bringing a hand up to rub his face with it. "S-sorry," he mumbled, "I'm fine. Just a little tired is all."

The firefox wasn't convinced. "You know you can ask for help if you need it Kael. We can help you back to your room. You're our friend after all."

Some emotion flickered across his face, quick enough that she couldn't figure out what it was. He brought his glass to his lips and downed the rest of the glass before setting it to the side. "Thank you, but I should be fine on my own." He stood, gripping his side as he did so, and made his way to the door. Everyone stopped and watched, once again concerned with the wounded Zoroark. Selina made to stand, but Letholdus stopped her with a hand, shaking his head when she turned to look at him. Begrudgingly, she sat, although that did not stop her from watching the scene before them. Luìs, still laying with a leg over the chair arm, simply looked to the side, a frown on his face.

"O-oh." Elizabeth mumbled. She hadn't expected him to get up so suddenly. Was it something she said? Either way, she stood and held the hands in front of her. "I could help you if you like?"

Kael stopped at the door, hand on the handle, and did not turn to meet her eyes. He stayed still for a moment, perhaps thinking over a response, until he decided on what he wanted to say. "I appreciate it Princess, but I should be capable of getting to my chambers on my own. I wouldn't want to ruin anyone's night more than I already have." His grip tightened on the door handle. "I bid you all good night. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, he opened the door and slipped out, clicking it shut behind him. Everyone was silent, somewhat upset at the Zoroark's hasty exit. Something told Elizabeth that something was wrong. Perhaps it was her psychic powers, or perhaps it was simply her intuition. Whatever it was, she went and opened the door, fully intending to help him to his room at the very least. But much to her surprise, the hallway was empty when she opened the door. She leaned out, looking down either side to see if she could spot Kael, but with no such luck.

She was confused. He had visible trouble with simply walking when he had arrived. She couldn't fathom how he had managed to up and disappear from a long hallway in the ten or so seconds she had taken to open the door after him. The confusion didn't help at all with he already being worried about him. So, to check on him and ease her own fears, she excused herself from the room, and made her way to Kael's guest room. Surely she would spot him on the way, or catch him before he fell asleep.

 _Why?_

 _Why did he have to go and say that?_

 _It wasn't his fault. After all, how could he know?_

Kael, arm clutched to his side, thought to himself as he reached his room. In the back of his mind, he was thankful for his illusion powers. He had heard a door open behind him on his way here, and whoever it was would have surely seen him without his powers.

He slipped inside his room and shut and locked it immediately. Here, in the safety and privacy of his room, he could deal with the pain.

His chest ached, a deep pain that was worse than any physical ailment he had ever known. He made his way to the chest against the wall, and began to dig through it. It was hard, considering the room was pitch black save for the slivers of moonlight, and harder still with the tears in his eyes.

It wasn't Max's fault. He had no malicious intent when he had brought up Kael's family. He was just a sweet, genuine kid who was just curious. Who just wanted to know Kael better.

Who reminded Kael so much of Inir.

The tears were getting worse now, and began to slide down his cheeks. The mention of his family, the similarities, the genuine warmth. It all brought back memories that he had tried so hard to keep buried. But it seemed that, despite his sincerest efforts, they could return to haunt him still.

The memories danced in his mind, an amalgamation of his earlier life. They strung together, one leading into the next with no sense of time or connection. They just came, bombarding and drowning and crushing him with their emotional weight.

Two Zorua, one larger than the other, and a Pichu running around outside, laughing as they tackled and tagged each other. A Zoroark and Raichu laughed as they watched from a distance...

A Zoroark, this time with the lines of age evident on her face, shouting and screaming at him with a wild look in her eyes...

A Mienfoo and Oshawott, each holding a hand out to him, smiles on their faces...

A Raichu and Zoroark, each with fire in their eyes, stood and screamed at each other, the vision marred by his tears as he watched from around a corner...

The amused expression of the Pichu, and slightly annoyed expression of the smaller Zorua as he helped them dress in formal attire for their first ball...

The empty, unfeeling face of a young Zorua as he tried to breathe through the sickening scent of lilacs and lilies, starring at the three coffins, two of which were far too small, smaller than a coffin should ever be...

If the vision weren't enough, the voices were what clinched it. He could still here them, clear as if they were being said at that very moment. He couldn't decide which he hated more.

 _"You look great sis! Oh, Inir, that's not how you put that on! C'mere and let me help you..."_

 _"This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

 _"Thanks for your help. If you'd like, we would happily call you our friend..."_

 _"I'm sick of this woman! All you do is work, treat everyone else great, and then treat us like shit! I'm done!"_

 _"Goodbye Sydrea. Goodbye Inir. I'll miss you..."_

He was relieved, or as relieved as he could be in his current state, when he found what he was rummaging for. He pulled he two bottles out, one significantly smaller than the other. On was shaped like a classical bottle of liquor, and the other was tiny, with a rounded bottom.

In the back of his mind, he screamed at himself to stop. Alchemical potions were dangerous in their own right on their own. Mixing them with alcohol was very reckless, and just asking for trouble. But he didn't care, not at the moment. All he wanted was to forget, and for the pain and memories to stop.

His face still running with tears and chest still aching, he uncorked the larger bottle and downed a mouthful.

It burned. Sweet Giratina did it burn. It was less like someone has fired Flamethrower into his mouth, and more like he swallowed his own Hyper beam. That was to be expected, as the contents of the bottle were distilled by himself, and probably so strong that it would be illegal to sell it on the market. But the physical pain helped to distract him from the mental and emotional pain, though only for a moment. But it was enough relief to bring the small vial to his lips and down that as well.

Knowing the alcohol would accelerate the potion, he downed more mouthfuls, pausing only to breath. Once he, several swigs later, was convinced that he had drank enough for the desired results, he capped the bottle and tossed it back into his chest. With nothing more to do but wait, he sat on his bed and tried to keep himself together.

His shoulders shook with silent sobs as he buried his face in his hands. He'd only need to endure a few more minutes before the potion took effect, and he could slip into blissful unconsciousness. Then he could go about his day tomorrow when things were back to normal.

He was surprised, then, to hear a knock on his door at such a late hour.

He bit his lip, tasting the copper, metallic tang of blood, as he tried to silence himself despite the fact he wasn't making all that much noise to begin with. A familiar voice, soft and feminine, carried through the door. It asked him if he was awake. If he needed anything. If he was alright.

He recognized the voice, the same one that sent Butterfry fluttering through his stomach. The same one that brought both fear and joy to his mind. It brought so many thoughts and emotions to his head it hurt. Part of him wanted to open the door to let her in. He enjoyed her company, and she seemed to enjoy his. It would be nice to have some company in such a miserable state.

How long had it been? Since he'd shared his pain and sorrow with another pokemon? Since he'd bared he soul to someone? Too long, as he couldn't remember the last time he had done it. And he was sure that she'd understand. She was intelligent, sweet but certainly not afraid to get her hands dirty, if her punch was any indication. She seemed genuine, both as a individual and friend. Surely she would understand and help him?

But no, he convinced himself as his hand hovered over the door handle. She was wonderful, but she was also safer away from him. Tonight's events had reminded him of his place in the world. What others thought of him. What would they do, he wondered, if they caught her with him? And then there was his plans. The support of the King and Queen. The whole operation would be dangerous for everyone involved. Keeping her at arm's length, away from him, would ensure she would remain safe when what he knew was coming finally came.

He was frozen between two option, thoughts and worries and fears all running through his head he almost forgot where he was. He shook his head, having reached a decision, and would not let his running thoughts sway him. Bringing his hand to his face, he opened his jaws and bit.

He felt his fangs slice into his own flesh as crimson liquid splattered into his mouth, the metallic taste returning in force. He had little doubt that this would leave scar. But the pain he caused himself brought him a moment of clarity, a silence to all the thoughts in his strained mind. The voiced asked again, hesitantly, as if wondering if anyone could hear her.

Thankfully, it was at that moment that things began to blur. The alcohol and potion had begun to take effect, and Kael couldn't go back on his decision now. Fangs still embedded into his hand, he stumbled back into his bed, everything growing fuzzy. He made himself as comfortable and normal looking as possible, in case anyone snooped into his room again.

As everything became fuzzier, and he was on the edge of unconsciousness, he saw one more memory. This one was old, perhaps one of his oldest, and it held special significance to him.

A Zorua lied in his bed, looking much much younger than any other time he remembered. His smaller counterpart curled into his side snoozing peacefully. In the eldest's arms was a baby Pichu, no more than a year old, sucking on a digit while wrapped in a blanket. He hugged her close, making sure she was secure and warm and comfortable. As both he and the Zorua were about to fall asleep, he heard a distant voice that sounded very familiar...

 _"Don't worry you two. There's nothing to be afraid of, cause Big brothers here. I'll protect you guys no matter what." The Zorua turned to kiss each on their forehead before settling in himself, smiling happily, with not a worry in the world._

 _"I love you guys."_


	7. Recovery, Research, and Surprises

**Hey, look who's back from the dead!**

 **Apologies for taking so long with this chapter. After being sent to Romania for a month and coming home, I felt like goofing off. Then college started and working part-time and I'm working on another one-shot and it just got so pushed back.**

 **Also, I procrastinate. :p**

 **Anyway, this chapter was partly to help me get back into things, to introduce new characters, and to hint at things further down the line. Not my best work, as I'm not sure I nailed the personalities of the new characters quite right, but I gotta start somewhere, right?**

 **Anywho, enough delay. On with the show!**

* * *

 _ **"I'm coming for you, little pet!"**_

 _Elizabeth fell backward, staring up at the huge glowing creature towering over her. It cast its piercing gaze over her, bathing the area around her in a crimson light. Her instincts told her to run, to get away from it. But her body refused to listen, and she found herself frozen on the spot, only able to stare and gawk at the winged creature. It laughed, a deep, grating sound that hurt the ears, almost to the point of physical pain. Never once did it take its eyes off her, watching her as a bird of prey might eye its next meal._

 _ **"What's wrong pet? Why don't you turn and run? I love when my prey squirms."**_

 _The giant threw its head back and howled a deep and terrifying laugh, one that scared the braxien to the very core. With its focus no longer on her, at least for the moment, the fire type willed her body to obey. With movements born from fear more than intent, the fox scrambled to her feet and fled as fast as she could manage. The bird finished with its howling laughter, only to smile as she ran, not that she could see or care._

 _Shadowy shapes blurred by as Elizabeth ran, not bothering to slow down to take note of just where she was headed. All she knew, all she cared about, was putting as much distance between her and that terrifying black-and-red bird. Everything was black, illuminated only by the fire that spread throughout the area. She continued to run, avoiding any obstacles and slowing only when her lungs screamed for oxygen and rest. Only when her lungs burned and heart threatened to leap from her chest did she dare stop._

 _Resting hands on her legs, she gulped in breath after breath in an attempt to calm the frantic heartbeat screaming in her ears. Throat burning and chest sore, she looked up once she had somewhat recovered to scan her surroundings. Everything, or at least the vast majority of things, was on fire. The flams cast everything in a dancing orange light as the licked at every structure, plant, and flammable item they could. With everything burning, smoke billowing from some of the larger fires, it was rather difficult to make out where exactly she was. She continued looking around, hoping to find some sign or name of whatever town she was in. But as she scanned around, she felt a little prick at the back of her mind. Some thing about this place was...off. She squinted at looked harder, taking in every little detail she could, until she saw a half-burned sign, currently being licked by the flames, that momentarily stopped her heart._

 _She was in Lumiose. That sign, laying in front of the skeletal remains of a building, was the bakery that sold Max's favorite sweets. Even with half the sign burned beyond recognition, she could see the familiar design and letters. With ice in her veins, she looked again and saw other, familiar shapes. Down the street stood a tall, pillared building that was the library. There on the corner, that was Audrey's favorite accessory store. Even the buildings she couldn't name all melded together into a familiar pattern of shapes and sizes._

 _Elizabeth held a hand to her stomach, the urge to vomit suddenly present. In her muddled state of mind, a question pierced her confusion and fear, popping to the forefront of her worries:_

 _What about her Lumiose castle?_

 _Quickly realizing her direction based on the ruined town buildings, she spun on a heel, eyes straining to see her home, hoping that it was safe and as she remembered it._

 _It wasn't._

 _The braixen let out a choked sob at the sight. Above the roofs of the town stood her home, burning brightly in the night. She could see various parts actually on fire, and some billowing from within told her that nothing was left untouched by the destructive force. Questions began to run through her mind faster than she could make sense of them or focus on one. What happened? Was this an attack? An accident? Where was everyone? Were her mother and father safe? Max? Audrey? Sam?_

 _ **"Hehehe. Like what I've done with the place?"**_

 _The beating of giant wings accompanied the deep voice, and a familiar Black-and-red giant came flying in, landing atop some of the town buildings, seemingly not caring about the flames or ash his talons touched. He leaned in once again, bathing the fire-fox in crimson light and causing her legs to fail her. The bird grinned a terrifying grin, unnerving Elizabeth even more._

 _ **"What's wrong my little pet? Don't like my decorating?"** It paused to laugh at its own statement, the braixen too terrified to utter a peep. It stopped after a few moments, staring down at her before smiling and leaning in closer. **"Come here, pet. Let me kiss you, let me brand you with my mark."**_

 _As the giant closed the distance, Elizabeth's skin and fur began to burn. Not quite like it was on fire, but more like it was rotting from the inside out. She made to scream, but her mouth wouldn't obey, too frozen in pain to move. Her heart accelerated as it got closer, terror seizing her mind and heart as pain flooded her body. Only able to stare up at the creature, and in pain as it was, Elizabeth thought that if it laid even a touch on her, that she would surely die._

 _Thankfully for her, someone decided to intervene._

 _Frozen as she was, she had a perfect view as a ball of dark energy came speeding in to slam against the giant avians side. The explosion was more akin to a thunderclap, and the braixen fell onto her back, the hypnotic and terrifying gaze no longer holding her. Gasping and curling up instinctively, she tried to gather herself from her near-death experience. A breeze of motion above her caught her attention, and she peeked an eye open to see just what-or who- had saved her._

 _What she saw returned the terror she had felt moments before._

 _The creature looming over her was gargantuan, bigger even than the evil avian who had been pursuing her. It was serpentine-like, with no visible hands or legs. It hovered above her, a mass of gray and black and red and gold. She didn't need much time to tell what species it was. The shape, the colors, and spikes on its sides were a dead giveaway. The most prominent features, the six black tendrils sprouting from its back, red-and-black stripes, and golden rings along its neck and covering its jaw left little doubt who this titan was._

 _Giratina._

 _Elizabeth, still frozen on the spot, could only gawk up at the leviathan, mouth agape. Curiously, Giratina didn't seem too interested in her. Rather, he was staring- more like he was glaring- at the Pokèmon he had just attacked. **"Back away. This one is not yours."**_

 _The great avian- who Elizabeth recalled now as a Yveltal- rose to its feet, glaring at the great serpent. **"If she is not mine, then I will take her."** It rose up, flaring out its wings and glowed a sinister red, aggression very evident its demeanor. It threw its head back a let out a bone-chilling shriek, what the braixen assumed was some sort of battle cry, before lowering into a combat stance._

 _Frightened as she was, she didn't expect for the Giratina to shift slightly in front of her, it's upper body ahead and slightly shielding her. She was even more surprised when it shifted its head to look down at her without any hostility. **"Run Princess Elizabeth."**_

 _A chill went down her spine, despite the fires all around, at the fact that this legendary was protecting her and even knew her name. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form a coherent thought, all of the events making no sense to her and understandably throwing her through a loop. The Yveltal, seeing that she was doing nothing, screeched and leapt into the air, barreling towards Giratina with talons outstretched. Giratina gave to mind to the imminent threat, only nodding to her forcefully._

 _ **"Run Elizabeth! RUN!"**_

* * *

Elizabeth bolted up, gasping for air and sheened in sweat. A hand flew to her chest, heart beating so fast it threatened to burst. She sat there, gasping and trembling at the vivid visions that replayed through her mind. She glanced around frantically, scanning for any burning buildings or threatening creatures. Luckily for her, her room offered no such threats. Glad to see that she was in no imminent danger, she relaxed a little and sat trying to calm herself down.

She replayed her nightmare- she couldn't think of anything else to call what she saw- over several times in her head. She recalled how she had actually felt pain- the burning from being so close to that yveltal. Such an experience was very unusual for the occasional dream she remembered. And what kind of dream was that anyway? Her home burning, yveltal attacking her and giratina rescuing her. That was something she had never expected to dream, that much was certain.

The fox sat in her bed a while longer, pondering over her odd dream. No matter how much she thought, she couldn't find an explanation for why she had seen what she'd seen. Eventually chalking it up to a simple random dream, she drained a glass of water before settling back to sleep. Shifting around a bit to get comfortable, the last thought she had before returning to her slumber, was to check up on Kael in the morning.

Out of all her companions, Selina was often the first one up in the mornings. This morning was no different, as she found herself awake while it was still dark. Used to such a thing, she went through her usual routine in the tiny hours of the morning. She had a daily regimen of practicing her forms and she dutifully practiced it every morning without fail. Despite it not being the same as combat practice, it helped her wake up, keep up her muscle memory, and keep her muscles loose and toned. An hour of her kata left her covered in a light sheen of sweat, but feeling awake and energized. A quick bath and a small bag over her shoulder were all the meinshao needed before she was ready to start her day.

The weasel moved lightly but with a purpose. There was a certain fox on her mind, and she knew just what she needed to do after his behavior last night. Slipping into the kitchen, she looked around at the few sleeping night cooks. The ovens were low, just keeping warm more than cooking, and it was quiet, with only slight snoring and the crackling of coals for noise. With a grace natural to her species, she made her way around. A few scones here, some bread and meat there, a couple berries, a skin of water, one of hot water, and another of apple juice were all she needed before slipping back out as quietly as she had come.

With a tray filled with the swiped goods, she made her way to a familiar door. She attempted to open the door, but a lock prevented her from continuing. She frowned at the inconvenience but was not deterred from her task. Walking a little away down the hallway, she stopped to open one of the large windows the lined the hall. With one hand balancing the tray carefully, she clambered out the open panel, finding a good hold on the outside. Glancing over, she spotted several good holds in the stonework between her and the balcony next door. With a grunt, the weasel swung herself several feet over, digging her toes and claws into the holds she'd found. She leaped a few more times, strong but graceful, the tray never spilling or even threatening to spill.

With a final leap, she landed on the railing of the balcony before hopping off easily. Making her way to the balcony door, she opened it and let herself in. The room was dark as she had expected, and silent except for quiet breathing. She began to walk to the bed where her target was laying, taking note of the trunk left open, and the bottle lying on top of the contents. Frowning and shaking her head wearily, she put her bag and tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed before she reached over and gently placed the zoroark's head in her lap.

Kael, unconscious as he was, made no objection. His breathing was weak, weak enough to alarm anyone who hadn't experienced this before. And he was cool, his fur not holding the natural warmth it should have. Selina frowned when she saw the dried blood and fresh incisions in his hand, finding it distasteful despite her familiarity with such behavior. Reaching into her bag, she withdrew a small bag of mixed herbs and small cups. A few minutes of stirring the herbs into a cup of hot water satisfied her, and she lifted Kael's head up to tip the brew into his mouth.

Kael swallowed easily enough out of reaction and finished the entirety of the drink. Satisfied, she put the cup down and simply sat there, letting her hand wander through the fur of his chest, stomach, and arms. To anyone else, the gesture might have been seen as comforting or perhaps romantic, but the truth was quite the opposite. Selina, with a practiced pattern that came with repetition, slid her hand through his fur, feeling for his scars. She found them with ease, knowing them off hand and by heart, and couldn't help but feel some pity and sadness. Some were relatively fresh, some were from when he was a child, and there were at least a dozen between. Various shapes and sizes and locations, but all told a story. And that story, at least to Selina, was a very bitter and cruel one.

Having felt and found and remembered every scar, she slid her hand up to scratch just below Kael's ear and behind his jaw- a favorite spot of his. She, in such a melancholy state, recalled the first time she had found him like this years ago. She recalled the crying meinfoo shaking her zorua friend when she found him unresponsive in his room. She remembered that was her first experience with panic. Not that panic that came with being late or forgetting where she put an item. But real and pure panic, the panic that turned blood to ice and seized muscles and made her want to vomit with worry. The panic that came with thinking her closest friend was dead.

She was snapped from her thoughts at the shifting and moaning coming from her lap. Kael, groaning weakly, shifted as he began to come to. He dared to crack an eye open, only slightly and looked up at her, vision unfocused. "S...Sel?"

Selina smiled softly, relieved that her mix had helped him recover, and gently ran her had through the fur between his ears. "Sssh. Don't speak. You need to eat." She reached over to place several scones, a few pieces of meat and bread, and several kinds of berries on a plate before setting it in his lap. "Eat."

Putting up no resistance, the zoroark reached down to grab and berry and bite into it gingerly. As he ate slowly, his companion ran through the same questions she did every time this happened. His responses came back quickly and concisely- or as concisely as he could in his current state.

"Can you hear and understand me properly?"

"Yes."

"Can you feel everything?"

"Yes"

"Any lingering aches or pains?"

"No."

"Any breathing trouble?"

"No."

Selina nodded, satisfied for the moment that Kael wasn't in any immediate danger. Reaching over to take and nibble on a scone herself, the pair sat in silence for a while as they ate. Minutes passed as they filled their bellies and quenched their thirst, Kael with assistance from the female, before they returned to their original positions. "So," Selina began when she saw that Kael was looking and feeling better, "What happened last night?"

Kael closed his eyes and sighed, finishing the last of a scone in his hand before looking up at the meinshao. "Well..."

* * *

Elizabeth awoke that morning not quite well rested but not quite groggy. She felt... plain, which was unusual for the fire fox in the mornings. Swinging her legs out of bed, she rose and washed before stepping out to get breakfast. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, bathing everything in red light. The day promised to be a pleasant one, but the braixen gave it no mind. She had other things and people at the forefront of her mind.

As she neared the kitchen she heard rather loud talking coming from within. Twitching her ears, she listened closer and made out two very familiar voices. She paused as she listened, smirking at the interactions between the two.

"Audrey! C'monnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

"Max! No! Those aren't just for you!"

Pushing the door open, Elizabeth was greeted with a rather comical sight. Audrey stood in the middle of the kitchen, a plate of cinnamon rolls held above her head with one hand. On the opposite side of her was Max, swinging his arms in an attempt to grab at the sweets and held back by one of the buneary's strong ears. Max, however, was not one to be deterred in this pursuit.

"Just one! I promise that's it!"

"You said that last time! And you ate them all! All _thirty-six_ "

"That totally wasn't my fault!"

The two continued in this vein for a minute more, not noticing that Elizabeth was watching. Stifling the laughter under her breath, she stepped inside and spoke. "Alrig, t you two. Break it up."

The pair looked her way with surprise on their faces, stopping their little quarrel to stand next to each other as they faced her. Audrey was the first to speak up. "Oh, Good morning Elizabeth. When did you get up?"

"A little bit ago. Came here to get some breakfast if that's alright with you?"

"Of course~ Just let me...Hey! _MAX!_ "

"Whut?"

The Riolu, seeing that Audrey was distracted with his sister, had reached over and snagged a trio of cinnamon rolls, one of which he had stuffed into his mouth whole. The other two he held in either hand while giving an agitated look at the buneary. It wasn't very effective however, as frosting smeared on ones face and cheeks puffed out took away any form of intimidation.

"You said you'd only take one!" Audrey mad a face of annoyance at the young jackel. The riolu, chewing with some degree of difficulty, swallowed what was in his mouth so he could speak clearly before answering.

"Yeah. Well, that was if you gave me one. I worked up an appetite trying to get to them, so I need to recover my strength plus the one I was aiming for!"

"Oh whatever! You're just a big snorlax!"

"Am not! I'm a munchlax at most!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the innocent squabbling started up again. She stood and listened more but eventually frowned as she heard an odd noise. Swiveling her head around, she pinpointed the source and, listening further, smiled as she determined just what it was. Looking over to her brother and friend, she spoke up. "Aww. Let him have some Audrey."

Both looked over to him a second time, Max considerably happier than Audrey. "Really?" He turned to stick his tongue out at the buneary cook, much to her chagrin.

Elizabeth nodded, smiling happily. "Yeah. Just go grab us some plates so we can share."

Beaming, Max walked over to a large cabinet that held a large assortment of silver wear and dishes. As he neared and reached out for the handle his sister spoke up. "Oh, and max?" He turned to face her, tilting his head in curiosity at what she wanted to say. "Try not to break anything~"

Max mad a face at the comment. "Break anything? Why would I-"

 _"Boo~"_

"AAHHHH!"

Feeling the voice whisper in his ear and something wrap around his neck suddenly, Max let out a very feminine scream and jumped forward in reaction. Unfortunately for him, he tripped in his panic and went face first into a wall. A shelf above him shook, and several dishes and containers fell down onto the poor fighting-type. The was a resounding _CRASH_ as Max was buried under a small pile of junk. Elizabeth and Audrey, after getting over their initial concern, laughed heartily at the display.

A third voice joined in the laughter and Elizabeth saw exactly who she had expected. Standing in front of the cabinet that she had been hiding in stood a furret laughing openly with a warm smile. She wore a green felt hat atop her head, with a white feather stuck in it, and a backpack that made various clinking and clanking noises when moved. Nodding to the new addition Elizabeth addressed her. "Heh. Nice one Luck."

The furret smiled and took a mock bow, sweeping her hat off in a grandiose fashion. "Well thank you. I think it went well~ Appreciate the set up there Elizabeth."

"My pleasure. It's always funny when you give someone a scare."

Luck nodded in agreement before turning to look at Audrey. "Audrey~ It's nice to see you too of course."

Audrey rolled her eyes playfully in response. "Alright you trickster, C'mere." Hopping over to the furret, the buneary wrapped one arm around her in a hug. "Alright, what kind of trouble did you get into this time?"

Luck made a face of innocence at the accusation. "Trouble? Me? Dear Audrey, I've no idea what you mean. I'm just an honest merchant!" Her statement was meet with a deadpan look from the rabbit, and caused her to tilt her hat down smugly. "Alright. So there may have been a few angry customers..."

Everyone was interrupted when the door was pushed open and a kirlia jumped inside, a look of worry on his face. "What happened? I was walking by when I hear the crash and thought someone might be hurt." A low moan came from the pile of spilt junk, and Sam dashed over to begin digging once he recognized the voice. "MAX!" After eventually pulling the riolu from his trappings, Sam looked him over for injury. "Are you alright? What happened? Are you injured?"

Luck, rolling her eyes at Sam's excessive worry, simply waved paw at him dismissively. "He's fine. He's a tough cookie, not a newborn."

The kirlia paused in his search to turn and look at the new addition. His face instantly fell into one that was less than pleased to see the Long Body Pokèmon. "Ah... It's you. Hello Lucrais."

Luck, or Lucrais as her full name was, waved at Sam impishly. "Hey there Sammy –boy."

"You know I hate being called that."

"And you know I prefer my nickname, but that doesn't stop you does it?"

Sam only let out a "Hmph" and turned to finish looking Max over. Aside from some dizziness, Max was perfectly fine. And he demonstrated his good health by perking up at seeing the normal-type and bounding over to her in excitement. "Luck!"

The furret smiled at the energetic riolu and his rebound from her scare. "Hey Max. Good to see you're-"

"Is it finished? Is it is it is it?"

Luck let out a sigh, offering a tired smile at the question. "No Max. It's not ready yet. I told you it'd take a while if at all to make."

Elizabeth, Sam, and Audrey all raised their brows in confusion at the conversation. "Finished?" Elizabeth asked. "I didn't know you were making him something Luck."

Luck nodded. "Mhmm. He asked me to make him a certain something a while back. And I'm working on it. It's just very complex and needs a lot of components and tweaking."

Elizabeth looked equal measures of concerned and confused. "What could Max want that you could make that he couldn't buy?"

"Well, what he wanted was-"

"GRAPPELING HOOK!"

Everyone stopped to stare at Max, who had adopted what he thought was a heroic pose but came off as more silly- with one hand on his hip, the other making a fist above him, his head tilted just so. Everyone tried to stifle their laughter, some more successful than others, as Elizabeth questioned her brother. "Excuse me Max? You asked Luck for a grappling hook?"

"Ya-huh."

"Why would you want a grappling hook Max?"

"I think the better question is: Who _wouldn't_ want a grappling hook?"

"What would you do with it?"

"What _wouldn't_ I do with it?"

Everyone present couldn't hold in their merriment and let out laughing. "As usual," Luck managed between laughs, "your reasoning is spot on Max!" The next few minutes was spent getting the laughter out of their systems. As everyone calmed down, a growling stomach and blushing braixen drew everyone's attention and reminded them of why they were here.

"So," Audrey began, clapping her paws together, "how about we all get something in out tummies hmm?" A chorus of agreement met her proposal, and the group made their way to the dining room casual chatting about whatever was on their minds.

* * *

Kael and Selina sat in the zoroark's room, quietly discussing various topics between them. Kael had recovered enough to move with some aid, and had repositioned himself into a comfy arm chair in front of the burning fireplace. Selina sat in a similar chair next to him, both nibbling on food or drink between comments.

"Did I miss anything last night?"

"Nothing important. Everyone was concerned about you when you left. But everything after that was inconsequential." The meinshao paused with a contemplative look on her face. "Elizabeth went after you when you left. Didn't come back for a while." Kael made no comment, opting to continue nibbling on his scone as his companion spoke. Selina paused, thinking over her words before continuing. "She clearly cares for you Kael."

"Sel. Please. Now's not the time for that."

"Kael, there is never a time for that with you."

"You know why that is."

Selina huffed, more tired than angry at the comments Kael made. "Let's be honest Kael. This whole thing Is going to be messy. No one can deny that. But what about when it's all over? Once we win Unova's freedom back, what are you going to do then? Wouldn't you like to settle down, start a family one day?"

Kael, swallowing what he had in his mouth, sighed at the path the conversation was going down. "Yes, that would be nice. Anyone would like to find themselves a mate and have children and live a nice life like that. Myself included." The dark-type leaned back, staring into the crackling fire in front of him. "But that's a long way off Sel. And the less everyone-especially everyone here- is involved, the safer they will be." Sel made no comment, keeping silent as she too stared at the flickering flames. A long stretch of silence followed, broken only by Kael flickering his ears as he heard a noise, closely followed by Selina. "Selina, if you could open the window please?"

Nodding, the weasel rose and made her way to the windows. Opening one, she quickly stood to the side as a figure sped through almost as soon as it was open. Neither was surprised by the sudden intrusion- rather, both had been expecting it. Turning, they looked at the new addition to their private room.

Landing atop the arm of Kael's chair, the figure turned out to be a golbat. It stood tall, wings pressed neatly to the sides of its body with head and eyes facing forward. The only distinguishing things it had to stand out from others of its species were two purple handkerchiefs tied around each ankle. On his right leg, higher up, he wore a gold band- a wedding ring specifically. He wore a small satchel attached to his back via some straps.

Kael smiled politely and nodded at the bat. "Hello Zane. It's been a while."

The golbat nodded in response, remaining at attention as he spoke. "Indeed, it has Kael."

Kael rolled his eyes playfully and gestured to Zane. "At ease Zane." At the word, Zane let his wings relax a bit, slouching more comfortably and losing the serious expression on his face. Kael, satisfied that the new addition was past the formalities, reached over and offered some food and drink to the poison bat. Zane accepted the plate and began to eat at a slow but measured pace. Zane took the next several minutes to eat and drink his fill, neither Kael nor Selina bothering to disturb him.

Eventually Zane finished with his impromptu meal and set aside the plate and cup before turning to face Kael once again. "Thanks for the meal."

Kael shook his head and held up a hand. "It's no trouble. What do you have to report?"

The golbat made a face of discomfort as he began his report. "Well. It's not very good sir. We've managed to get some supplies- food, cloth, lumber- and steal some equipment. And we've made a fair amount of coin by selling what we have excess of. And our group in Undella Town has been able to avoid the new security around the port." He took a moment to sigh heavily. "That's the good news."

"And the bad?"

"Out outpost in Icirrus Town has gone completely dark. No contact with anyone, and we fear the worst. The groups in Striaton, Driftveil and Pinwheel forest are all undermanned and can barely scrap by. What's more, the bridge between Opelucid and Lacunosa has been shut down. We can't get any materials or resources through that way, which means it'll have to go the long way through Nimbasa and Driftveil to get to the western outposts."

The dark-type grimaced at the news. He had hoped things would have stayed the same, not gotten worse. He rarely hoped for things to improve, something that came with his life experiences. He rubbed his temple with a hand, taking a moment to take in the news. "I see. Have the Undella outpost work as efficiency as they can without compromising their safety. Give any information you can to the wester outposts about surviving in the wild. Foraging, growing crops, herbal medicine. They will have to find or make anything that we cannot support via the supply routes."

Zane nodded as he listened, memorizing what he was to relay to the others in Unova. When Kael finished the poison-type reached around and withdrew the satchel on his back before offering it to the zoroark. "While this might not necessarily be as good, I do have some items for you."

Reaching to take the package Kael opened it and went through it's contents. Various files and papers were the first to be withdrawn. Various accounts, financial figures, maps and other information from the various outposts in Unova. Next were various leaves, stalks and herbs. This made the dark fox smile, recognizing them all and knew that they were rare herbs that Zane collected for him to use in his alchemy. The last item was a large regional map, with hand drawn adjustments showing blockades, camps, forts, patrols, and any other enemy forces in the region that his forces could gather.

Placing the various papers and files off to the side Kael leaned back in his chair with closed eyes. Taking a moment to breathe deeply and compose his thoughts, the young fox turned back to the crackling fire. "Thank you for your report Zane." Getting up, he strode over to his chest against the wall and rummaged though it to withdraw a small pouch. Walking back to his chair he placed it inside the now empty satchel. "For your trouble." He paused, noticeably looking at the gold band around the golbats leg. "And your wife."

Zane grinned and chuckled. "Heh. Aren't you sweet? It's appreciated Kael. I'll swing by when I have more intel or rare materials for you." The two spoke a little more, offering words of farewell before Zane snapped a crisp salute with his wing and disappeared out the window he had come in from.

Selina, who had remained silent for the most part except for an initial greeting, reached out to pluck a purple flower from outside the window sill before closing it. Taking the flower –their signal to let Zane know when and where it was appropriate to meet with Kael- she placed it inside a drawer in the nightstand. "Well," she said as she couldn't think of anything else to say, "what do you wish to do now?"

Using a hand to massage his face, Kael let out a low groan and small laugh at the same time. "Right now? I could use a nap if I'm honest."

Selina nodded, agreeing with the fox getting some more rest, and made to rummage through her bag. Takin out a small roll of white bandages, she knelt down next to Kael and began to unwind the bandages already wrapped around his stomach. They came off fairly easily and Kael made no noises of distress, which Selina took as a good sign. Using some alcohol and rags she found in Kael's chest, she gently cleaned the wound before wrapping it back up in fresh bandages.

Discarding of the bloodstained bandages, Selina helped the zoroark to his bed, making sure that the left-over drinks and food was on the nightstand in easy reach. Pausing at the door, she turned to look over her shoulder at her friend. "What shall I tell the others if they ask after you?"

"The truth: I'm tired and I need some rest."

Keeping a straight face, the meinshao nodded and bid him a good rest before stepping out the door and closing it behind her. Laying in his bed, Kael stared up at the top of his 4-poster bed with thoughts running amuck in his head. One thought stood out among the rest, and he decided to voice this one particular thought.

"Can today get any worse?"

* * *

Elizabeth and her group leaned back in their chairs, patting bellies and letting the hearty breakfast set in. They had spent the last hour preparing and then eating a lovely course, mainly prepared by Audrey of course. Max and Sam leaned back lazily, while the three females engaged in light conversation as the digested.

"That was a great breakfast. Thank you for preparing it Audrey." Elizabeth sipped the last of her drink as she spoke, more out of reflex than any real thirst.

"Yeah" Luck chimed in, using a toothpick to remove any remains of the meal from her teeth. "You never cease to impress me with your cooking skills. One of the reasons I come around to visit so often~"

Audrey, who had stacked the used dishes in one pile, puffed out her cheeks in mock offense and turned to one side. "Hmph! I see how it is. Like me only for my cooking, do you?"

Everyone at the table tittered at the display as the furret decided to play along. She gasped overly-dramatically. "Oh of course not! Dearest Audrey, I come to spend time with you because you're a great friend! You're hard working, friendly, strong, and so easy on the eyes. What person wouldn't want to be around you." Luck reached over and playfully pulled the buneary into a hug.

Unable to keep a straight face, Audrey giggled and returned the affection. "Heh. Flatterer~" Max made a noise of disgust, causing the pair to laugh harder and shoot him looks. Sam, for the most part stayed quiet and Elizabeth stood up smiling but having a destination in mind she wanted to head to.

"Thanks for the meal Audrey, but I've got other things to attend to." Audrey simply nodded in response and made to say something but stopped. She unrolled her ear and both began to twitch. Recognizing this, she strained her own hears to hear whatever the buneary did. Everyone went silent, curious as to what the normal-type was hearing, and it took the braixen several seconds of close listening to hear it. It sounded like yelling, but not quiet in distress or pain.

Elizabeth, already on her feet, went to the door and opened it to step into the hallway, with everyone else following behind. They stood and starred down the hall, the seemingly the source of the noise. "Does anyone know what that noise is?" Elizabeth asked the group more out of reflex than expecting any real answer. "It sounds like-"

 _"DELIVERY!"_

The voice that became clear was obviously shouting at the top of their lungs, but they could still tell that it was young and somewhat squeaky and feminine. Before anyone could open their mouths to comment, a small Pokèmon came skidding around the corner. It was small, blue, and round with no arms but possessed a zig-zag tail with a large circular end, and had a small messenger bad strapped around her body. Several of the group recognized the Pokèmon as an azurill, a small water-type. The azurill turned, spotted the group, and beamed brightly. She began to hop her way down to them, screaming at the top of her lungs. " _DELIVERY!"_

The events that followed were a mix of unfortunate and comedic. By some turn of fate, as the azurill got close she wavered in her approach. Whether it be she tripped or was plain clumsy was anyone's guess. Max, who had stepped slightly forward to meet her, was the victim of her trip as she smacked her forehead into the riolu's. The audible _CRACK_ that accompanied the contact made everyone flinch as the two fell onto their backs. Sam was the first to be by Max's side for his second spill of the morning. "Are you alright Max?" The kirlia asked his friend, trying to see past the hands pressed against Max's forehead.

"OWW! WHAT DID I DO?"

The girls giggled quietly at the fighting-type's unfortunate luck this morning. The offending azurill, holding her tail to her head, groaned lowly in pain. Audrey hopped over to stand over the little water-type. "Are you alright?" She asked, concern evident in her voice for the little mouse.

The Polka Dot Pokèmon was apparently a lot tougher that her cute exterior made her look. Almost in a full turn of emotions, she rolled to her feet and smiled chipperly. "Oh I'm fine!" She either missed the odd looks the group sent her way or just didn't care. Regardless, she looked over the group with a bright and cheery smile before taking on a contemplative look. "Can anyone tell me where I can find the King and Queen? I have a delivery to make, and I can't be late for a delivery!"

Elizabeth, seeing as Max was not in a position to answer, stepped forward. "I can bring it to them for you. My parents are pretty busy right now but I can give what you have to them when they are free."

At the statement, the young azurill went silent, staring up at the taller braixen with wide open mouth and sparkling eyes. "Whoah..." She breathed out, staring up meaningfully at the fire fox. Elizabeth found herself a little uncomfortable at the staring and looked to her side at her companions, who only shrugged in response. Before she could say anything, the azurill let out a screech of excitement that grated on everyone else's ears.

 _"EEEHHHH!_ Ohmygoshohmygoshohmyosh!"

As everyone covered their ears with hands and paws to try and dampen the sound, and the pain in brought with it, it suddenly cut out as the azurill was now hopping excitedly in front of Elizabeth. "Your parents are the King and Queen? That makes you, like, the PRINCESS! That's SOOOO CCOOOOLLLLL! What's it like being a princess? Do you sing a lot? Do you have any special powers? Where's your prince charming? C'mon tell!"

Not used to such a reaction or behavior, Elizabeth was understandably put off at the outburst from the small water-type. Face twisted into one of confusion, the simply stared as the small water mouse bounced and continued to talk and ask questions. Thankfully for her, the excitable azurill stopped and turned around when someone came around the corner calling her name. Curiously, Audrey and Elizabeth noticed that, having one foot larger than the other, the azurill used her tail as a third leg to balance on when she stood still.

"Mai! I told you to slow down!" The figure bounding around the corner called. The Pokèmon resembled a frog, with green and yellow coloration, pink cheeks, a swirl on its stomach and a long curled hair atop it's head. The politoed, as the others recognized it, hopped down the hall, an exasperated expression on its face. "I told you not to go hopping off without me, especially here." The voice revealed it to be a male with a slight lilt, and he stopped himself just in front of the azurill he called Mai.

"Oh oh oh! Lyrell! You'll never guess what happened!" Mai began to hop around the politoed as she spoke. "The braixen Is the Princess! I met the Princess! Isn't that neat?"

Lyrell rolled his eyes with a smile at the display Mai put on. "yes, very neat Mai." He turned to face the group, particularly focusing on Elizabeth. "I hope Mai hasn't caused you much trouble in the sixty seconds you've known her. She means well but she can be a bit..." He paused to look at the beaming Mai beside him, "...much."

As Mai made a face that came off as more cute than angry, Elizabeth spoke up. "Umm... no, she's fine. We were just a little... caught off guard is all." Her friends nodded, including Max, who had since recovered and found his feet again. An awkward silence followed as they all stared at each other waiting for someone to speak. Eventually it was the braixen who spoke first. "So... that delivery?"

Face going from cutely pouting to surprise, Mai used her tail to open the clasp on her bag. "Oh right!" Sticking her face inside, she rummaged around before pulling out, a bundle of envelopes in her teeth. "Hurr ou ohh!" She mumbled around the letters. As Elizabeth took the bundle, Mai performed a little spin before posing and exclaiming. "DELIVERY ACHOMPLISHED!" She stood there a moment, again missing or ignoring the looks sent her way, before she turned to face the group once more. "It was nice to meet you all. Especially you miss Princess!" Offering only a quick smile, she spun on a heel and began to hop her way back down the hall. "C'mon Lyrell! We have more DELIVERIES to do!" She called over her shoulder.

The green toad sighed as his younger companion bound down the hall. He turned quickly to the others. "Apologies about that. Do enjoy your day." He then began to hop after Mai, calling after her. "Mai! I told you not to go off ahead of me!" The pair, one hopping after the other, progressed down the hall until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Elizabeth and her friends stood there staring at the spot the two water-types had disappeared from. The rather odd visit from the mail-mon had been rather confusing and none knew how to properly react. But eventually the braixen turned to the other four, one hand clutching the bundle of letters. "Well...That happened." The other three nodded, neutral expressions on their faces. "Anyway... I have to drop off these letters then I'm headed to the library." Giving a nod, the fire fox began her walk to her parent's study to drop of the mail.

Max decided he would head down to do some exercise and Sam returned to his book keeping duties, leaving Luck and Audrey on their own. The furret turned to her fellow normal-type. "Welp, fun as this was, I've got some work I need to tend to. Deals to make, money to take. You know how it is." The buneary rolled her eyes but smiled non-the less, and Luck turned to leave. "Thanks for breakfast Audrey. I'll see you around-"

"Hold on there!" Freezing, Luck looked over her shoulder to see a stern-looking rabbit staring at her. "You wait right there." She hopped back into the kitchen, giving no other instructions or indications as to what she was doing. Luckily Luck only had to wait a minute before her friend came back holding a small brown bag. "Here. For the road." Was all the rabbit said as she offered it to her friend.

Taking the bag, she undid the tie around it and peeked inside. "What is it?"

"Leftovers. Some jerky, scones, dried and crystalized fruits, a few skins of water..." The buneary smiled smugly before she continued. "...and some extra cinnamon rolls."

Luck's face twisted into one of pleasant surprise. "I thought you told Max that we ate them all at breakfast?"

"Technically that was true. These are extras that I baked for myself. But I couldn't let one of my best friends go off without some sweets for the road. Knowing how much trouble you get into, you'll need a pick-me-up." Audrey folded her arms over her chest, a knowing look on her face as she stared Luck down. The furret laughed awkwardly, sweat dripping down her head at the glaring buneary. Shaking her head, Audrey bounced forward and gave Luck a small hug before making a 'shoo' gesture with her paws. "Alright I've got work to do. Off with you, you rapscallion."

Laughing Luck returned the hug before getting on all fours and making her way down the hall. She heard Audrey call out to her as she got farther away. "And don't go scamming the wrong person!"

Laughing, Luck called over her shoulder. "No promises!"

Shaking her head at the expected response, Audrey returned to the dining room to gather the dishes then make her way back to the kitchens where a pile of work surely sat waiting for her. Still, with seeing Luck and having a nice morning with her friends, the buneary was off to a great start of the day.

Having dropped off the letters to her parent's study, Elizabeth made the walk to the castle libraries. The library was large, with book cases that stretched the height of the two-story room. Aside from the small rooms made for private meetings or reading, there was a stairway that lead to a small private suite usually reserved for Elizabeth and her family. The plush carpeted floor and wooden bookcases were a pleasant decoration style to the fire-type. And the smell of faded parchment and old ink always gave her some degree of comfort.

Stepping into the deserted room, she looked at a framed map on the wall. The directory, telling where to find what kind of books in the large collection. Tracing a claw as she looked it over, she found what she was looking for and sped off. Fifteen minutes later found her carrying an armload of books up the stairs to the private suite. Slipping inside, she made her way to a small alcove she normally used for herself.

Sitting in a small but comfortable couch, she set the books on the table in front of her and took the one that looked most promising. The tome was relatively new, if the condition was any indication. The title read 'The history of the Legendaries'. Flipping the front cover open, she began to pour over it.

For the next several hours Elizabeth poured over various books, tomes, and scrolls. Everyone had some connection to the Legendaries. Some were simple children's tales revolving around the figures. Others tried to act as catalogs for the great beings. Still others were collections of reports from Pokèmon who claimed to have encountered the powerful Pokèmon. Several times she had to head back down to the main floor and grab a new armload of books, the previous batch offering nothing solid about what she was looking for.

She had just closed a book after reading a report in it from one Pokèmon who claimed to have been bed by the Legendary Mew, when she turned to the last book from her most recent armload. The book was fairly large and worn with age. The pages had tears and splotches and were faded with the years passed. Elizabeth scratched her head, not quite recalling picking up a book like it but eventually shrugged it off. Lifting up the large tome onto the table, she undid the buckle that held it closed and flipped it open. The inside of the cover held no title, just like the outside, but it did hold a single word at the bottom, likely the owner or author: _Flüstern._ Shrugging it off, she flipped to a random page.

The Princess was surprised to see that what she held was more akin to a personal grimoire than a published book. The writing inside was clearly by hand, with various drawings, sketches, and diagrams accompanying the paragraphs and paragraphs of writing. The pages she turned too described some alchemical process to make... something. Turning again, this time she found that pages offering details on a Pokèmon. The left page had an assortment of details about the Pokèmon species such as habitats, diet, temperament, and other important details. The right page held a page-sized sketch of the Pokèmon, specifically, a Noivern. She turned further forward, and found the same style of page depicting a Pikachu. She turned back to the beginning, looked over the table of contents to find what she was looking for. A minute of flipping through the many, many pages found her arriving at what she wanted.

A page depicting Yveltal.

The sketch on the right was detailed enough to cause her to jump in fright. Hand against her hammering heart, she looked at the picture that seemed to stare back. Despite the book having no color, the image of a red-glowing bird towering over her jump to mind. Swallowing her discomfort, she looked over the information on the right. Rather than information like normal Pokèmon, these paragraphs offered details about the lore and meaning behind a legendary.

She read over what the grimoire offered on the Destruction Pokèmon. What she could gather fell in line with what Kael had told her family the previous night. Yveltal was often seen as the deity of death and destruction, more so than any other Pokèmon. What was new that she found was that there were two major groups that followed Yveltal. One believed in Yveltal symbolizing the acceptance of death. That dying was a natural part of life, and accepting it as an eventuality would lead to a more fulfilling life.

The second group was quite the opposite. They believed that Yveltal symbolized death as a tool for power. That by forcing death on their enemies they would gain Yveltal's favor, leading to a very militaristic, aggressive society. While several other minor groups involving Yveltal had surfaced over the years, these two remained the two major groups centered around the great bird.

Having satisfied her curiosity about the being she kept seeing in her dreams, she was struck by a whim. She turned back to the table of contents, then turned again to the page of the next Legendary on her list.

Giratina.

The paragraphs said what she had expected. While many groups and cultures saw the Renegade Pokèmon as an ill omen or devil, there was a select group that was it more of a dark savior, guiding them to humility and acceptance through their darker times. There were a few other tid-bits on the groups and history of the Pokèmon as a whole, but Elizabeth skimmed over it, simply wanting to compare what the book said with what Kael had told her. Not having any more Pokèmon to look up, she glanced at the sketch before stopping. The sketch depicted Giratina as a huge leviathan in its origin form, the altered form on the opposite page. She could tell it was huge because there was another Pokèmon in the sketch, miniscule in front of Giratina and, thus, offering some form of scale. She leaned in close, but couldn't quite make out what it was exactly. Her initial thought was that the tiny Pokèmon looked like a zoroark...

Her stomach grumbled, so she left the thought and closed the book, standing and stretching. She glanced out the window to see it was probably late afternoon, the sun dipping towards the horizon. She must have missed lunch in her research, but she simply shrugged it off. She could eat her fill at dinner, and that was something she looked forward too. Seeing Kael too, as he would be present at the evening meal, made it even more appealing. She hadn't seen him since last night, probably recovering from that nasty wound. But sureley he would want to eat with the rest of them, and seeing him better was a enjoyable thought she entertained for a few moments.

Her thinking was interrupted by footsteps up the stairs and someone kicking open the door. The doorway stood Nurse, a look that was less-than-happy clearly written on her face. Something Elizabeth could note was that it wasn't an angry look per say, but one of hurry. "There you are!" she said as she strode over to the fox. "We've no time. We've got to get you ready for tonight!" Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask what Nurse meant, but was cut off as the audino picked her up and threw her unceremoniously over her shoulder. The fire-type's cries of protest were cut short as Nurse proceeded to run them back to the Princess' room.

Nurse had to be given credit: she could move like a Pokèmon a third her age. The castle interior sped by in a blur as she was carried by the speeding audino to her room. Kicking the doors open once again, Nurse dumped Elizabeth onto her bed before speeding over to rummage thought her closet and drawers. The Princess rubbed her head in irritation as she spoke up. "Ugh. Nurse! What was that about? You can't just show up and kidnap me like that! I was in the middle of something very- what are you doing? Ahhh, NURSE! Not that horrible thing! Why do I even need that?"

The 'horrible thing' Elizabeth referred too was a large, highly frilly and decorated dress Nurse had set onto the back of her desk chair. The thing was considered her 'best' outfit for formal occasions. Elizabeth despised the thing because it was considered 'classical', based on human designs, and had a long poofy skirt that was so encumbersum that it required a metal-wire frame underneath it all to allow her to walk at all.

"Hush now Miss Princess! None of that sass talk!." Nurse never stayed still, throwing accessories and clothing that went with the outfit as she spoke. "There will be a big feast tonight, and we need to get you washed and presentable!"

The braixen, kneeling on her bed, crossed her arms and huffed. "What is it now? We already had a feast for Kael, and there are no major holidays coming up. So why in the word-"

"It's not for Prince Kael! It's for Prince Lenoard!"

Understanably, Elizabeth froze in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Nurse, holding up two different necklaces to compare them, answered her. "Prince Leonard. He's arrived, come to pay his respects, so the whole castle is having another feast to welcome him!"

The name was not very difficult to place. Prince Leonard was a well-known name in politics, particularly those of females. The blaziken was quite the dashing figure, known for his singing, music, dancing, and was popular with females of all ages and stations. His name brought ideas of romance wherever it was mentioned. The idea of such a romantic figure arriving to see _her_ sent her into a tizzy. "Ahh! Why so suddenly?" She hopped off the bed and began to dig through her drawers as well, looking for her best accessories.

"It's been in the works for a week. Your parents didn't mention it to you so you would avoid a week of being in a nervous tizzy like you are now!" She paused and, Elizabeth swore, blushed. "I saw him arrive, and I think he winked at me."

"NURSE!"

"Hey! I may be old enough to be your grandmother Princess, but I'm not dead yet!" She rushed over, pile of cloths in hand, and began to help the fox dress for tonight. As Elizabeth, suddenly nervous as she could be, let the audino help her dress, she let her mind wander. The evening suddenly seemed alive with the breath of possibility. So many things could happen, and meeting with Prince Leonard suddenly seemed terrifying and wonderful at the same time. In the midst of the sudden whirlwind of emotions, a single thought spoke up in the back of her mind.

How would Kael feel about Leonard coming to try and win her over?

* * *

 **Well. That's the setup for next chapter. That's when things get interesting :)**

 **Things will start picking up in the next few chapters, and not all for the best. But until then, this will have to tide you over. Hopefully, it won't take another few months for the next one XD (It won't.)**

 **As always, if you have any constructive criticism, suggestions, guesses, questions, or anything like that, feel free to review or PM me. Not only is it fun for me to respond to both, but it gives me a little motivation boost when I'm feeling lazy/procrastination-ey.**

 **Until next time!**

 **-Cheers!**


	8. A Royal Story

**I'm Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee**

 **Well, sorta kinda.**

 **First off, wow I didn't expect to drop this for so long. I sincerely apologize for that. Several things in life poped up that kept me from continuing this more regularly. They include:**

 **1)School**

 **2)Getting a Full-Time Job**

 **3)Dealing with family issues.**

 **4)Re-planning the storyboard for this about 7 times (Literally)**

 **5)My Current deployment.**

 **Soo... yeah. You can see why I've been gone so long.**

 **But as things stand now, I will have the time and ability to resume this story at a more regular, decent schedule. (And even if not, I won't ever stop til this is done. No matter how long it may take.)**

 **Also, I commissioned a cover art for this story from my friend! It's real neato, methinks**

 **So, with that out of the way, I hope this chapter isn't too rough as I get back into my writing flow.**

 **Regardless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Prince Leonard was not a handsome Pokémon.

But that hardly mattered! What the blaziken lacked in pure looks he made up for in wit, charm, and charisma. As Elizabeth saw him standing in the foyer, she couldn't help but be enamored by the arriving royalty. Her large ears could pick out his conversation with some other nobility, along with his short laugh after saying something amusing. She could easily hear his singing voice behind his talking voice, and she thought that both must be equally pleasant to listen to.

In that moment, at her first sight of Leonard, the braixen suddenly felt nervous. In any other circumstance, she might have had more courage and more easily kept her cool. But the ridiculous dress she was stuffed into was the opposite of comforting. While frilly and flashy, adorned with jewels, frills, lace, feathers, and a few other trinkets often seen in a courtly outfit, the thing also seemed to add thirty pounds to her in unflattering places. Elizabeth was a naturally pretty girl, but dolled up as she was, some might have had a hard time seeing that.

She walked next to her brother, just behind her parents, and all of them were properly attired for receiving a guest of noble blood. Sam and Audrey would be busy until the feast actually started, and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kael or Selina all day. Nor Letholdus or Luis for that matter now that she thought about it. She quickly threw the thoughts out as they descended the stairs and were announced to those in attendance. More than likely the Unovan guests would be attending the feast as some point or another. And besides, Elizabeth had more important matters on her mind at the moment!

So caught up in her thoughts was the girl that she had missed whatever pleasantries and greetings had been exchanged between her parents and the blaziken. She focused back into reality just as Leonard was saying something to Max while shaking his hand. She had a moment to look him over, and couldn't deny that he looked good, although perhaps a little underwhelming compared to his reputation. The green overcoat her wore was a nice contrast to his naturally bright colors, while the pale violet ascot he wore also added a pleasant addition to his look. The gold thread lining the edges and buttons of his coat were a nice finish to his aesthetic. Very appealing overall.

She heard her father introduce her formally to the young male, and her throat clenched up when she tried to open it so speak. Flustered, she swallowed and tried again, with only marginal success. "G-greetings. Prince. Prince L-Leonard." Gripping the edges of her annoyingly large skirt, she curtsied as protocol dictated. She felt tense, fearing that the slightest slip up may embarrass her beyond recovery.

But Leonard simply smiled at her. Reaching out, he took her hand and bowed, bringing his face close enough to kiss the back of it, longer than was normally expected, before looking up at her. "The pleasure is mine Princess. I am Prince Leonard Jansen, and it is a true treat to make your acquaintance." He threw in a wink as he looked up at her, and Elizabeth felt her face begin to heat up. While he didn't break etiquette, the kiss and wink were very forward of him, and Elizabeth could already imagine the look her parents were sending Leonard. She was as embarrassed by the act almost as much as she was for him doing it in front of her parents.

Nodding, she withdrew her hand and folded them in front of her. She snuck a glance at her parents, trying to see their reaction. Her father, while maintaining his regal demeanor, had a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Her mother, on the other hand, looked completely neutral, only eyeing the blaziken curiously, face as unreadable as ever. Max's focus was elsewhere, looking around at the crowd, wholly uninterested in what was going on with his sister.

Her father cleared his throat, this time in a manner of someone taking control of a situation. "Please, Prince Leonard. Do come and enjoy some Kalosian hospitality." Her held is arm out to the side, indicating the dining hall and what Elizabeth was sure would be an impressive spread of food. While his he was perfectly friendly, Elizabeth thought she heard something...off, in his voice. Or was that her imagination?

Regardless, Leonard didn't seem to detect anything of the sort. "You are very kind, your highness." Nodding in thanks, the blaziken allowed himself to be lead away by the king, with the rest of the royal family following. Seeing their monarch headed to the hall, the rest of the scattered nobility soon followed, everyone filling into the spacious dining area. With the same seating arrangement as last time, it was a simple matter to find her assigned seat.

Or, at least that was what Elizabeth thought. When Leonard sat next to her, her own seat being moved next to her mother with Max on her other side, she couldn't help but pause. Kael had sat next to her the last banquet, and she was expecting that to remain the same. Looking past the fire-type, she noticed an empty seat on the opposite side of Max. Initially put off, she thought it over and it made sense. Leonard was here to court her (or, more accurately, investigate courting her.), and so sitting next to her only made sense. Kael had made no such announcements, and so sitting next to her wouldn't be quite as...'important' in the eyes of etiquette and formality.

Seating herself, with Leonard one side and her father on the other, she looked up at the announcement that the herald in the hall made.

"Prince Kael'themar, Crown Prince of Unova."

The braixen stained her eyes and, sure enough, found the familiar black fox enter the hall. Selena, herself dressed in a dress similar, although much less weighty and flashy compared to her own walked beside him. Kael was dressed in the same rich clothing he wore the first banquet, although she noticed him nursing one side. Elizabeth felt a twang of concern, seeing the zoroark still hurt. She might have even rose to help him to the table as Selena broke off to sit with the rest of the knights, had Leonard not placed a hand on her own.

"Princess," he spoke up, looking to her with a smile, "I do very much appreciate the hospitality and warmth you and your family has shown me." Elizabeth all but whipped her head sideways at the contact. And she felt her face flush at the handsome smile shot her way. She looked off to the side as she thought up a response.

"Ahh...It's nothing. This is fairly standard stuff. Not that you aren't important! I'm sure we've made special arrangements just for you! It's just we are used to receiving noble guests. Not that I'm trying to make us sound all important but..." The fox blabbered on for several seconds, tripping over her own words in an attempt to not embarrass herself in front of her new guest. Only when Leonard laughed did she snap out of her ramblings did she manage to close her mouth and focus back on Leonard.

"Princess" he managed after his short chuckle, "no need to be so flustered my dear. It is enough to simply be here with you and your lovely family." If he noticed the increase of color to her face, he gave no indication. Instead he simply smiled again, removing his hand as he turned his attention back to their surroundings.

Thankfully, the beginnings of the meal were being served. As various staff began serving soup and other appetizers, Elizabeth allowed herself a look around. Most of the assembled royalty were minding their own business, largely keeping to themselves and their gossip. Kael's knights also remained rather isolated, although she could see Selina sneaking glances at her and Kael. But try as she might, she couldn't get the fighting-type to hold eye contact.

Trying to put it from her mind, she and everyone began to eat. Leonard, for his part, alternating between eating his food and chatting, occasionally with Max and Elizabeth, but more so to everyone nearby who would listen. The braixen learned that he was eldest son of the royal family, and in line to inherit the throne. He went on at length about himself, revealing his love of the arts, fashion, and fine foods. As he spoke, occasionally punctuated with pauses to eat, Elizabeth had to emit he was a natural auditor. He effortlessly drew the attention of his crowd, knowing when and how to say what he wanted in order to keep others enthralled.

As much as she enjoyed listening, Elizabeth couldn't help but keep tabs on her friends as they all moved onto the main course. Max seemed totally concentrated on the blaziken, for better or worse. Her parents seemed no different from normal, which was to say they revealed very little of how they may actually feel. The knights were mixed, as Luís and Letholdus seemed to listen intently, while Juno and Selina seemed indifferent.

What surprised her was Kael.

The fox hadn't said a word all evening. He had nodded his greeting upon arrival but had made no attempt to engage in conversation with anyone. In fact, if Elizabeth hadn't seen him come in, she wouldn't have known he was there at all. The ebony fox ate his meal in complete silence, keeping his eyes down and seeking no social interaction. It was rather off-putting, considering how approachable he had seemed the last time.

Elizabeth had half a mind to approach the zoroark herself. But a laugh of the surrounding nobility drew the attention back to the pair of fire-types. Elizabeth turned to look at Leonard and smiled, pretending to laugh along with the rest. As the blaziken continued on with whatever joke or tale he was telling, the braxien made a mental note to approach Kael when the opportunity presented itself.

An hour or so later found most of the assembled nobles and guests finished with the main course, most simply picking at provided sweet deserts and dishes. The night was still young however and having such a guest warranted more than a simple lavish meal. Once most were finished eating and were letting their meals settle, a small group of musicians entered the dining hall and took up position off to the side, an unoccupied table moved out of the way for them, as well as having a generous space cleared in the middle of the hall. With a nod from the monarchs, the group began to play a lively tune for the assembled nobility.

Many of the guests recognized the tune played as a popular tune played at celebrations, and many rose up to take to the newly-made dance floor. It took little time before dozens were moving and laughing to the jaunty music, a near festive mood filling the room. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she saw so many laughing and enjoying themselves. She even saw her parents stand and make their way to the floor, joining in the dancing.

The young fox herself was surprised to see a hand offered to her from the side. Turning, she felt herself flush as she realized it was Leonard who was offering her his hand. "May I have this dance, M'lady?" He asked with a dazzling smile. Not trusting herself to speak, the fox simply nodded as she took his hand, rising and following him onto the dance floor.

Elizabeth quickly learned that Leonard was just as good a dancer as his reputation made him out to be. The pair whirled in time with the rest of the other dancers, the male leading as Elizabeth, admittedly, wasn't all that proficient at dancing. But Leonard was light on his feet and made for a very impressive partner as he led them in their spinning and whirling.

"I must say," the prince began a few minutes into their dance, neither ceasing their movements, "that this is among the most enjoyable celebrations I've had in all my years. Great food, lively music..." He paused, before smirking and winking at the princess, "and very enjoyable company." If he noticed the rush of blood and heat to the princess' face, he made no obvious indication. Instead, he opted to simply return to focusing on their dance.

Elizabeth's thoughts were a whirlwind. So many various emotions vied for domination of her mind and mood, and as a result she had difficulty putting what she felt into words. Of course, she felt obvious ones like excitement and nerves and joy at the celebration and attention from the foreign prince. And some things like curiosity about him and a bit of affection for him were also there.

Most curiously, she felt a bit of sadness occasionally bubble up. Particularly when she thought about Kael. In the middle of a twirl, the fire fox glanced over to the table where her and her family were sitting earlier. And in a sight that cracked her heart a little, she did indeed see the zoroark sitting there, face down as he ate, expressing all the emotions one might find in a mask of onyx. He didn't seem even remotely interested in anything going on around him. The braixen couldn't help but feel that something was bothering him, although she had nothing solid to back that thought up with.

As her thought and view were torn away be the reminder that she was in the middle of a dance, surrounded by other dancing nobles, Elizabeth made a mental note to herself. She would, at some point, approach Kael and see what was wrong with him. He certainly seemed out of sorts tonight, and maybe a friendly face could cheer him up.

He certainly looked much better when he was happy

* * *

The scene in the kitchen was one of moving bodies, cooked goods and loud chatter. Waiters and servers moved to and fro, returning empty platters, only to leave with freshly loaded ones. Cooks and chefs toiled away at their stations, making more of whatever they needed or was in demand. Younger apprentices dashed between their elders, removing excess baking supplies and helping prepare what they could.

In the midst of all the commotion, a buneary bounced between bodies and stations with a surprising grace. Audrey never was in one place too long, only enough to get what she needed done. A taste test here, an added dash of spice there. The normal type knew just what needed to be done where, almost effortlessly. And if the expressions of the other kitchen-workers were any indication, her efforts were well appreciated.

As she finished putting a finishing touch on a dish on its way out, the rabbit allowed herself a pause. She couldn't see anything that needed her immediate attention, which allowed her a few minutes of respite. As she leaned against a empty counter, she allowed herself a smile and sigh, feeling proud for the feats going as smoothly as it was.

"Audrey!"

She turned, and curiously found Cecelia near the main door leading into a hallway that connected the kitchens to the dining hall. Righting herself, she bound over to stand in front of the Head Cook. "Yes? Is something the matter?" She asked in concern.

The slurpuff offered her a soft smile, one that was more to comfort than show joy. "Sorry hun. One of the nobles seemed to have taking a liking to one of your dishes and asked to see the one responsible for it." She offered a tired shrug. "You know how these nobles can be. Best not to keep them waiting. They're off at the end of the hall hun. Now don't you worry about hurrying back. I'll hold things down here. You go deal with this noble now~"

Only able to nod in understanding, Audrey paused on her way out to remove her apron and was her paws in a water basin near the door before moving out in the hall. She looked down both sides, and immediately spotted who she, assumed, was looking for her. The noble, if indeed that's who it was, seemed to be about her size, facing away from her and peeking out into the main dining area. Not wanting to waste any time, Audrey made her way over, clearing her throat when she arrived behind the noble, who was still occupied looking out into the dining hall. "You uh...wanted to see me?"

The noble, who's species she couldn't make out because of vest, scarf and hood they wore, nodded and spoke in an almost comedically low voice. "Yes. You're someone I've been looking for all evening."

Audrey felt her ears droop a bit at that statement. It was usually either very good or very bad that a member of nobility came looking for a staff member like herself. She swallowed the lump she suddenly found in her throat and made to speak. "Y-you have? If I've done anything wrong, or something is not to your liking, I'd be happy to go back and make you something that's more your taste. Just let me..." She trailed off as the mystery individual turned around and dropped the hood it wore.

"Actually, I loved it all, as usual. I was actually just looking to see you~"

"LUCK!"

The "noble" had turned out to actually be the furret in disguise. With her hood dropped, the familiar scarf and hat were easily noticeable. She now wore a sleeveless vest, one that was a bright reflective ruby red with yellow trim, but had several flaps on the inside, each a different color. The furret only snickered and finished off a pastry she had been nibbling while she watched through the door. "Sewiously," she managed through a full mouth, "dees tings are da bess."

Audrey was shocked to say the least.

"Luck! What are you doing!?" She cried, ignoring the furret's cheeky comment, "you're not nobility! You can get in serious trouble! Here, come with me and we can take all this off and-"

"Hey now," Luck interrupted, hands on her hips and lips curled into a smirk. "That's a bit presumptuous, don'tcha think?" She paused to reach up and swipe off her beloved hat, flourishing it as she bowed lowly. "I DO happen to be nobility~"

The rabbit deadpanned at her friend. "Luck, the only way you're nobility is if you're recognized as the Queen of con-men."

"Hey, that doesn't sound half bad~" The furret, returning her hat to her head, tapped her chin with a paw for a few seconds as she considered the comment. Eventually though, she shook her head and refocused. "But no, that's not what I meant. Tonight, I am Lady Evelynn, Baroness of the Grasslands~"

The furret took a pose that Audrey was sure she thought was striking and noble, but in reality was more silly than striking. Heaving a sigh, the buneary dragged a paw down her face in exasperation. "Alright. I'll bite. What are you on about?"

"What I am on about, my fine fluffy friend, is that tonight I shall be dining and socializing with the upper crust of society! I have recently discovered I am of noble birth, long lost heir to the nobility of eastern Johto, and have come here to establish myself with the rest of societies finest~"

A whole five seconds passed before Audrey spoke up, a warning tone in her voice making it clear she wasn't buying what the ferret was selling. "Luuuuuck..."

Offering a shaky smile, Luck finally sighed and let her head and arms droop in defeat. "Oh alright. So...I may have wanted to come to this party, and I may have designed some clothes to make others believe I'm noble. And the Baroness thing is just to get people to believe me, since not a whole lot of Johto nobles are attending here."

Audrey, eyeing her friend in disapproval, simply shook her head. "Luck...What am I going to do with you?"

"Feed me more of your delicious cooking?"

"Don't try and sweet-talk your way out of this one, missy"

"Awww..."

Reaching out to grab Luck's hand, Audrey began to drag her back to the kitchens. "We'll take this costume off of you, then you're going to get a stern talking too, missy. What would Liz say if she saw you like this?"

"Well, she seemed alright with it when I told her"

Jerking to a halt, the buneary turned to look at her companion with wide, boggled eyes. "WHAT!?"

"Oh yeah, she was on board with it. Said it would make things more fun. In fact, she suggested the second part of my plan too~"

With one eye twitching, the cook simply stared as she processed the information that Elizabeth was on bored with this plan. "And...what, pray tell...is the second part?"

Reaching behind her, Luck jumped forward to throw something onto her rabbit friend. Audrey closed her eyes as she felt several things placed on her person. Holding still, she waited until Luck backed off to open her eyes. Looking herself over, she found she was now wearing a dark blue scarff, threaded and lined with what looked like gold. A silver medalion hung around her neck, and a gold braclet lined with gemstones clung to her right wrist.

"What is all this Luck?"

"This is only fitting for the companion of nobility~ Because-" The cunning furret leaned in to grin at her rabbit friend, "-you are going to be my companion, wing-woman, and date for the evening~"

Audrey barley had time to gawk at the smirking ferret before she found herself being pulled back down the hallway, towards the ongoing festivities.

"I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS!"

* * *

Despite dancing for the better part of an hour and her feet becoming rather sore, Elizabeth really did enjoy it. She would have sworn, in the middle of it all, she saw a smirking Luck dancing with a very nervous looking Audrey. But she managed to remove the thought from her mind after a few moments.

Eventually, the dancing had boiled down, most taking a break to sit and return to their food and drink. Leonard and Elizabeth were no exception. But rather than remain quiet and eat, Leornard began to speak as he ate.

Elizabeth had to admit, the blaziken was a natural orator. In between his bites of food or swings of drink, he regaled nearly the whole hall with stories, seated in front of his table, with the rest f the hall gathering around him to hear. The royal made such a task look trivial, as if he were a professional bard since birth. Youngsters and elders sat with rapt attention, clinging to every word Leonard spoke in his smooth voice.

And the royal family was no exception.

"...and so I looked to the merchant and said 'That's no drunkard, that's my uncle!'" Leonard slapped his leg and laughed, along with the rest of those in attendance. Max laughed openly, Elizabeth tittered behind her hand, and even her parents chuckled along with the rest. The only one who seemed to not be enjoying the affair was a certain zoroark, who continued to keep to himself.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Prince Leonard reached over to grab a jug and refill his goblet. "Ah, such as it is with my uncle. Great politician, but his social outings are always events in and of themselves." Taking a swig, he let out a pleased sigh, readjusting himself in his seat with one leg resting on his knee. "Although, to be fair, that was one of the most memorable birthday parties I've ever been to~"

"Another!"

"Do tell another story, your highness!"

"Aye! One more!"

Various other cries for more filled the room, and the Blaziken had to wave down the crowd in order to be heard above the ruckus. "Alright, Alright! One more story." His statement was met with positive response, and he taped a claw to his chin in thought. "Hmm, what to choose next...Any input, Princess Elizabeth?" Glancing over to the braixen, he saw her staring off to the side. Following her look, he saw Kael still in his seat, quietly cutting his food.

Elizabeth, shaken from her thoughts by a nudge to her arm from her brother, blinked and looked back at her guest. She offered a shaky smile as her ears drooped and face burned in embarrassment, "O-oh. I'm sorry Leonrad. What was that?"

Laughing a little, the blaziken shook his head. "I was asking if you have a preference to my next story. But I do believe you've already helped me think of one." He rose his voice now, going back to his orator voice that could be heard clearly throughout the hall. "This story is one of Bravery, of Valor, and of facing the unknown!"

Much of the crowd leaned in, drawn in by the enticing story yet to be told. Max, seated next to his sister now, grinned as his tail wagged obliviously. "What is it Leonard? It sounds amazing!"

The fire-type nodded, taking one last swig of his drink, adjusted himself once more before speaking. "Indeed it is Maxwell. For you see, this comes from my personal experience." He leaned in, grinning theatrically. "This, my friends... is the story of when I set off to hunt Ferals."

Every sound in the hall abruptly, even those who were occupied with other tasks. One could hear a pin drop it was so quiet. Leonard, seemingly pleased at having gained everyone's attention, grinned and looked around at the various faces of his crowd.

Max was the one to break the silence. "Hunt Ferals? I'm...not sure I know what that means."

Nodding, Leonard continued. "You see Maxwell, there are two different types of Pokemon nowadays. One is the ones like you and me, the normal ones who live in civilized society. The others...are what we call Ferals."

"You see Maxwell, we all know that the race called Humans vanished thousands of years ago during a war between them. Much of their history and culture was destroyed by whatever powers they used. But something they did leave plenty of behind is sites of mass destruction. Now that may not be bad in itself, but the pokemon who lived near these sites soon...changed."

A pause to drink, then he continued. "As time went on, the pokemon near these sites began to get more aggressive, less...civilized. Now at first, that would seem like something that can be worked around. But generation after generation of this has resulted in what is known as Ferals: Pokemon who have gone completely savage. They have no sense of diplomacy or decency, no culture, and no organization. They seemingly have lost their minds, but have gotten physically stronger from living as savages. They are some of the most dangerous beings one can possibly encounter." Leonard paused, and leaned in with a gleam in his eye. "And I hunted one."

Low murmuring broke out all around the hall. Hunting Ferals? Such a thing was something reserved for the bravest and strongest of souls, and even there only rarely. The chatter continued until Leonard waved them down. "Yes yes, I know. You might think it insane of me. But it was my duty to do it."

Elizabeth spoke up now, face filled with curiosity. "How do you mean?"

"Well you see Princess, we had gotten reports of a Feral causing havoc along the roads of Route 15. Normally, banditry would be taken care of by the local authorities or a detachment of knights. But something like this...well, how could I expect my soldiers to do something so dangerous while I sat back? No, this demanded my personal attention. So, with a dozen knights with me, we headed out to the edges of my kingdom to hunt down this menace."

"For 2 week we trekked until we reached the Route. But the sightings had be all along the stretch of road, so we decided to fan out and search." At this point, Leonard began to add in motions and stress to his words, as if to emulate the struggle he had gone through. "For hours, I searched for this menace, crawling and cutting through thick foliage. At times I couldn't tell which way I had come from, and sometimes I mistook a shadow for my target. But after sometime I decided to break, and recollect myself. But as I did, I heard a deep, menacing growl." Now Leonard began to drop his voice, growing quieter and quieter. "I followed it until I was sure it was coming from the other side of a ridge. Thinking it to be one of my knights, I approached it. But the closer I got, the more unsure I became. But I decided to drive on, to find and attack the beast before it could harm any of my colleagues. Until, as i jumped over the ridge..."

 _ **THWUMP**_

Leonard slammed his hand onto the nearby table, causing everyone who had leaned in as he lowered his voice to jump. Elizabeth and several others who were especially absorbed in the story, actually almost jumped out of their seats. As everyone collected themselves from the spook, Leonard refilled his goblet again, a smug smile on his face.

"Well? What happened next?" came one voice, shortly followed by the rest in attendance.

"What happened?" The blaziken repeated. "Well, I found the Feral." I grinned and held up two of his claws. "The beasts turned out to be two young children, playing the woods with an old horn that made the growls~"

Everyone, including Leonard himself, burst out into fits of laughter at the unexpected end to the tale. For a few minutes, simple mirth filled the room as sides were held and tears shed. Eventually, the laughter died down and everyone regained their wits. Max, who had climbed back onto his chair after falling off in laughter, spoke up to nobody in particular. "Heh. That's not exactly how I thought that story would end."

"Imagine how I felt" Leonard commented, nibbling the last of a berry on his plate.

"Even though it wasn't a Feral, you were still quite brave," Elizabeth found herself saying. Immediately embarrassed with how that could be taken, she attempted to correct herself. "I-I mean. You went on even though you were alone, and not sure what you were facing. That takes courage." The new statement did not cool her burning face, although it did earn her a charming smile from the blaziken.

"Well, my story of hunting Ferals did come to a rather...anticlimactic conclusion. However, I'm sure there is a certain someone here who has actually been brave enough to hunt the beasts." The crowd looked to each other in confusion, thinking and failing to come up with someone who could top the Prince's tale. Luckily, the fire-type spoke up again, addressing the individual he was referring to.

"How about it, Prince Kale'themar?"

Elizabeth whipped her head around so fast, she would have been surprised she didn't get whip-lash, were she paying attention to such things. Everyone else followed suit, looking over towards the fox who, for the entirety of the evening, had not uttered a single word. Kael paused, a berry caught between two claws and halfway to his mouth as he froze, only to lower it and turn to meet Leonard's look.

The foreign Prince continued. "I've never had the pleasure, but I'm sure you have had the opportunity. Regale us, my friend. You've hunted Ferals before, yes?"

The fox spoke, never looking away from his royal counterpart. "Aye, I have."

"Ah! Wonderful. Do tell, was it one as exciting and grand as mine?"

"No."

"What? My friend, surely you jest? I've heard of a place in Unova that is the perfect place to hunt those beast. I believe you call it... The Dead City?"

"Nobody goes to The Dead City." Kael's response was short, direct, and hard as a steel-type. "Only those who are beyond desperate or suicidal venture to that place."

"Well, that I can believe." Leonard leaned forward, seemingly intent on having Kael share his own story. "Come now Kael'themar. I've warmed them up, so you've got a whole crowd ready to hear your tale of triumph. Did you lead a band of twenty strong? Did your claws taste Feral blood? Did you hang your trophy above your mantle? We're all quite eager and ready to for you to tell-"

 _CLANK_

Leonard was cut off as Kael slammed his hands down on the table, making his silverware and plate jump. Everyone gave him a look of surprise, Elizabeth and Max especially. The zoroark let the silence hang only a moment before speaking. "Mine is no fit tale for such company." He stood, hands still planted firmly on the table and face gone back to that familiar ebony mask. "Nor do I wish to tell it. And that's all I have left to say on the matter."

Without allowing anyone time to respond, the dark-type turned and bowed to the King and Queen. "Your Majesties." Turning, Kael stalked off to the nearest exit, leaving without so much as a word otherwise. Everyone in attendance had mixed emotions and expressions about the Unovan's sudden departure. Many of them confused or distasteful.

Leonard, on the other hand, surprised everyone by raising his goblet towards the door Kael had gone though. "I like him," he said simply, drawing the looks of many others. "Humility is a fine but too rare virtue, one I respect in a pokemon. Cheers to Kael'themar~"

As he downed his drink, Max spoke up in confusion. "Humility? What about that was humble?"

Putting aside his drink-ware aside and wiping his beak, the older pokemon turned to the riolu. "You must learn to read in-between the lines my friend, see what isn't said. Admitting to one of the most honorable and dangerous pastimes in our history, but not wanting to speak of it? To me, that says something went wrong. Horribly at that. Now, I don't know about you, but saying he did but inferring he failed is a rather bold thing to do, and there are fewer things humbler than admitting one's faults."

Max nodded slowly, taking in Leonard's point, while many others nodded along. Elizabeth, however, was now staring off into space.

The end of the night came soon after that. The hall was cleared, Max lead Leonard to his guest chambers, and everyone turned in for the night. But sleep came slowly for the resident Princess. Tossing and turning in her bed, various thoughts swirled around in her head, making peace of mind seem all but attainable.

Leonard seemed rather charming, that much was obvious. Tonight, was a good first impression on his part, and part of her was excited to see just how the next few days would go with him in the castle. Another part of her worried about how he saw her. Was she what he was expecting? He seemed rather flirty to her at times, but then again, that could be her imagination. And yet another part of her began to devise ways to appear more desirable in his eyes.

As minutes drew to hours and she went through the long list of thoughts that needed her attention and closure on, Elizabeth began to relax and drift off, exhaustion beginning to creep up on her. However, the last thoughts she had before un-consciousness took her were some of the most interesting, and potentially disturbing.

Kael

The zoroark had been rather anti-social at dinner. What's more, he seemed borderline rude to everyone in his behavior just before departing. It seemed rather conflicting with how he had acted recently, and it got Elizabeth thinking.

 _Why was Kael so touchy about Leonard's prodding? It was all in innocent good fun._

As her mind began to shut down, a fact all but leapt out at her:

Leonard had called Kael humble, because the fox had had a failed hunt.

That simple fact, simple statement, lead to a hug question in the braixen's mind.

 _What had to have happened for Kael to stonewall everyone in public like that?_

 _What happened to make him want to hide it, like he's ashamed?_

 _How wrong would things have had to have gone? What could he have possibly lost?_

* * *

 **As usual, feel free to leave any constructive criticism you have. It would be valuable as I re-ignite my writing desire.**

 **Cheers!**


End file.
